Explore sports news

Combat Sports
4 min read
0

Aung La NSang Has His Sights Set on Regaining Middleweight Championship

It has been a little over a month since ONE Championship’s Inside the Matrix event, where Aung La NSang suffered a defeat at the hands of Reinier DeRidder. He lost his Middleweight Championship, and that loss came as a shock to many because it halted Aung La’s impressive seven-fight win streak.

It has been questioned and debated since as to what is next for Aung La. Does he get an immediate rematch, or does he earn the shot by starting over. Of course, there is always the option of defending his other title, the Light Heavyweight Championship. Following Aung La’s social media suggests that he has his mind firmly on regaining the Middleweight Championship. I take a look at three possible scenarios that we could see Aung La during 2021.

The Immediate Rematch

I will start with the most obvious. Would anyone hold a grudge against Aung La getting an immediate rematch for the title against Reinier DeRidder, I would suggest, you would have to search far and wide to find anybody that would have issues with this situation. As I previously mentioned, Aung La had been on a seven-fight win streak since he won the belt against Vitaly Bigdash. Many fans were left stunned by the quickness of the fight, with it not even reaching the 2nd round. After DeRidder locked in the choke, it was a matter of time until the finish. Aung La will not just want to regain his title, but also make a statement and answer the questions of those that judged him after the loss.

Trilogy

Why not take a step back out of the title picture and regain his confidence by taking on the man he started his win streak with, Vitaly Bigdash? They are currently tied at one win apiece dating back to January 2017 when they first met. Vitaly took the first meeting by decision, as did Aung La in the rematch where he won the gold. This match has so many opportunities, settling the unfinished business of who the better man is, and also a win for Aung La would surely put him back into that winning mindset that made him look unstoppable prior to the DeRidder fight.

Leandro Ataides

This is a fight that really interest me. Both men have faced common opponents, (11-4) Brazilian Leandro Ataides, most recent result was a loss to DeRidder. He is the only man to take him to decision. Also, Ataides previous opponent was Vitaly Bigdash, who he finished off in the 3rd round. Both men have scary stand up and highly underrated ground game. With previous opponents in common, this fight would really make sense with the victor earning the title shot and possible redemption at DeRidder.

To wrap this up, nobody doubts that the king of Myanmar will be back. It’s more a matter of time and which route he takes. Do you agree with my choice of opponents or is there somebody you have in mind? If so I’d love to hear from you.


Main Image Credits to ONE championship PR

Follow me on Twitter at @JamesRees83 for more MMA news and discussions.

Also, make sure to follow @OT_Heroics for all of your sporting needs. Don’t forget @OTHeroicsMMA for all things MMA.

Come discuss this and much more at the Overtime Heroics Forums

Subscribe to our newsletter

Receive the latest sports news, exclusive stories, and updates. Stay Up-to-Date!