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https://scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3175747/one-championship-aung-la-n-sang-suggests Mixed Martial Arts
ONE Championship: Aung La N Sang suggests a ‘million-dollar tournament for middleweights’
- Former two-division champ believes ‘everybody would love’ a middleweight Grand Prix tournament because ‘it’s an exciting weight class’
- In the meantime, Burmese-American hopes to get back on track in ‘a fun fight’ with Japanese MMA veteran Yushin Okami
Aung La N Sang prepares to fight Leandro Ataides at ONE: Battleground. Photo: ONE Championship.
ONE Championship has promoted million-dollar Grand Prix tournaments in a number of its most exciting weight classes, but so far, the middleweight division has been deprived of any such action.
Aung La N Sang, the division’s former champion, would like to see that change.
“That would be amazing,” the 36-year-old Burmese-American star told the Post when asked about a potential middleweight Grand Prix. “A million-dollar tournament for the middleweights? Make it happen, man.”
ONE Championship has previously promoted Grand Prix tournaments in its men’s flyweight MMA division and its women’s atomweight MMA division to name a few, and will soon do so in its men’s flyweight Muay Thai division.
N Sang (27-13), who has also competed at light heavyweight and heavyweight, is hoping the promotion’s Grand Prix fever will soon spread to its bigger weight classes.
“We always have [tournaments for] the lighter weights,” he said. “Why can’t the middleweights make a little money for their family and put on some great shows?
“I know all the middleweights are down and I know everybody would love that.”
Aung La N Sang speaks with ONE middleweight champion Reinier De Ridder after their fight at ONE on TNT 4. Photo: ONE Championship
The glaring problem with the suggestion of a middleweight Grand Prix is the lack of bodies in the division. While the weight class is home to the likes of N Sang, former champion Vitaly Bigdash, and reigning champion Reinier de Ridder, filling out an eight-man tournament could prove challenging.
Yet N Sang points out that ONE has been gradually inflating its middleweight roster with new signings.
“They’ve already signed a couple of other middleweights,” he said. “There’s an undefeated guy from Russia. There’s David Branch as well, and I’m sure they’re going to sign more guys.”
If ONE promotes a Grand Prix tournament in the middleweight division, N Sang believes it will produce plenty of fan-friendly action.
By his estimation, it is simply the nature of the weight class to entertain.
“Middleweight’s an exciting weight class,” he said. “We’ve got the power, we’ve got the speed, we’ve got it all.”
ONE currently has no public plans for a middleweight Grand Prix, which means N Sang will most likely need to stick to conventional matchups for the time being.
Yushin Okami prepares for a fight with James Nakashima in the ONE Championship ring. Photo: ONE Championship.
The former champion is currently recovering from a second bout of Covid-19, but is hoping to fight again this summer, ideally against former UFC star Yushin Okami of Japan.
“He has the body type that gives me trouble: A longer, rangier grappler,” N Sang said of the 40-year-old Japanese veteran. “That would be a fun fight.
“I’m down. It’s up to [ONE], but it’s probably going to happen in the summer – late summer, probably.”
N Sang last fought in February, when he lost a decision to Bigdash in a tiebreaking trilogy fight. That setback was preceded by a knockout win over Leandro Ataides of Brazil.