ONE Championship: Aung La N Sang says Reinier de Ridder is a one-trick pony, ‘I can break his face’
- Light heavyweight king warns middleweight champ against overconfidence in short notice ONE on TNT 4 rematch
- ‘I know I’m gonna break him,’ says ‘The Burmese Python’, who insists fight will go differently than one-side submission defeat
Aung La N Sang was halfway to Singapore when he discovered Vitaly Bigdash was out of their ONE on TNT 4 light heavyweight title main event on Thursday.
And “The Burmese Python” didn’t hesitate for a second when ONE Championship offered him a short notice rematch with Reinier de Ridder for the same card.
“No, of course not – I signed the contract as soon as I saw it,” N Sang told SCMP MMA on Tuesday’s virtual media conference.
“I actually found out I’d be competing against Reinier when I got to Doha in the middle of my flight over here. It’s a better match-up in my opinion,” he added.
The undefeated “Dutch Knight” took N Sang’s middleweight title in a dominant first-round submission win last October, making the 35-year-old tap out to a rear-naked choke after sitting on his back for several minutes.
De Ridder indicated this week he sees a similar path to victory – and to becoming a double champ – but N Sang scoffed at the Dutchman’s suggesting he will be powerless to stop him again.
“Yeah, I mean you can’t say there’s nothing I can do. I can break his face,” he said.
“He can think what he wants, it doesn’t make a difference. I know I’ve made adjustments since the last bout. I know I can beat him.
“He’s a one trick pony. I’m a more well-rounded fighter and I know I’m gonna break him and I’m gonna put him away.
There is plenty of risk for N Sang, who has been preparing for a trilogy with Bigdash for the past two months, but he is putting his light heavyweight title on the line.
“It doesn’t matter who they put in front of me, I’m here to fight and put on a great show for the fans,” he said.
“I think I’ll have more power, be a little bit stronger. I’ve prepared really well for this bout. I think I’ll have a weight advantage on him.
“You’ll definitely see a different and more exciting fight this time around. I promise somebody’s gonna be face down on the floor.”
