ONE Championship news round-up: Reug Reug contract exclusive, Rodtang injury update, Nolan fight latest

Oumar Kane, better known as ‘Reug Reug’ is back in the ONE Championship fold after briefly testing the waters of free agency.

The Senegalese heavyweight beat Marcus Buchecha by decision at ONE Fight Night 13 in August, earning a US$50,000 in the process, but then surprised fans by announcing he was out of contract.

It seems the 31-year-old, who is based in Dubai, had been hoping to transition from MMA to boxing, which would have been a questionable move given he comes from a background in traditional Senegalese wrestling and is not known for his striking prowess.

While that hasn’t stopped several former mixed martial artists from trying their hand at boxing, notably Ben Askren and Dillon Danis, common sense has prevailed.

Kane holds an impressive 6-1 record and has won five out of his six ONE Championship fights. Reug Reug is coming off three straight wins and, had his contract not been allowed to lapse, would probably have been in pole position for a shot at heavyweight champion Anatoly Malykhin.

Reug Reug has been extremely outspoken on social media in recent months and aimed several barbs at Malykhin. Last month he signaled that the contract negotiations were going well telling his 225,000 Instagram followers that “this fake champion Anatoly Malykhin has been put on notice by his bosses”.