ONE Championship middleweight king Reinier de Ridder is expected to defend his title against Russia’s Vitaly Bigdash next. There is perhaps nobody better positioned to comment on that potential match-up than Aung La N Sang. He knows both men very well. N Sang (27-13) has fought De Ridder twice, first losing via first-round submission in late 2020, and then by decision early in 2021. “The Burmese Python” has spent even more time in the ONE Circle with Bigdash, having battled the Russian three times, with all of them going to a decision. He lost the first fight, evened the score with a win of his own, and finally lost their third bout earlier this year. “That will be a fun fight,” N Sang told the Post about a potential middleweight title bout between his two former opponents. “I want to tune in for that.” The 36-year-old sees advantages for both men in this potential match-up, and feels the result could come down to whomever holds the technical edge. “Bigdash is strong,” he said. “De Ridder’s not as strong, but when he has that body lock, he’s very strong. His grips are very strong. “De Ridder has a good body lock, a good squeeze, but Bigdash is physically stronger. Technically, we don’t know [who is better]. I don’t know for sure.” While N Sang knows De Ridder (15-0) and Bigdash (12-2) better than any other fighter, he is still unable to make a confident prediction for what he views as a very competitive match-up. “I’m not good at picking fights,” he said with a smile. With his latest losses to De Ridder and Bigdash still visible in the rear-view mirror, N Sang recognises that he has some work to do before earning a crack at the winner of their fight. ONE: Buntan already chasing rematch with Muay Thai champ Sundell His current priority is getting his health in check – he is still recovering from a second, complicated Covid-19 infection – and then racking up some wins. “I’ve got to win, man,” he said. “I gotta get back to my winning ways. I’m tired of losing. I need to focus on just being healthy. If I’m healthy and I’m on point I know I can finish any middleweight in the world. If I’m healthy and I’m in shape I shouldn’t have any problems with anybody.” N Sang is not picky about whom he fights next, but has been angling for a fight with Japanese veteran Yushin Okami , who was one of the stars of the UFC middleweight division before migrating to ONE in 2019. “He called me out first,” N Sang said of Okami. “It makes sense: two Asian middleweights. He has 15 or 20 fights in the UFC. He’s very well known and he’s been around for a while. “I’m pretty well-accomplished as far as the Asian middleweights go, so it would be a fun fight. I’ve been a big fan of him for a long time.” The 40-year-old Okami (37-14) has gone 1-2 since moving to ONE, first losing to Kiamrian Abbasov and James Nakashima, then rebounding with a win over Agilan Thani – all at welterweight. Still, N Sang believes the Japanese veteran is a dangerous challenge. At least, he is hoping so. “He has the body type that gives me trouble: a longer, rangier grappler,” N Sang said. “I’m not sure which Okami I’ll get. A motivated and healthy Okami would be ideal. With the knowledge that he has and the lifestyle that he lives, that’s what I want.”