Aung La N Sang is coming home. Fans in his home country of Myanmar are clamoring for his return, and they won’t have to wait much longer as the “Burmese Python” is about to step back into the cage to face Michal Pasternak on 7 October.
The bout will be contested in the middleweight division at ONE: STATE OF WARRIORS in Yangon’s Thuwunna Indoor Stadium, and could go a long way in deciding the next 84kg title challenger.
“The fans should be excited about this fight because we’re both really tough fighters and we both look for the finish,” the hometown hero says. “It’s going to be a great match.”
One quick glance at Aung La N Sang’s history shows a respectable 18-9 record with seven of those victories coming by knockout and the other 11 wins via submission. That one hundred percent finishing rate is a feat few mixed martial artists in any organization around the world can match. Also, the Myanmar-born middleweight is undefeated in his ONE Championship run, going a perfect 3-0 to date, most recently against top contender Aleksei Butorin.
The “Burmese Python,” who currently trains out of Crazy 88 MMA in Baltimore, Maryland, choked out his last two foes and is up for the challenge ahead of him, although his next potential victim Pasternak shows only a single loss on his professional record.
That loss was suffered in Pasternak’s last fight against Roger Gracie at ONE: ASCENT TO POWER back in May, when the BJJ legend submitted him with a textbook arm triangle in the first round to win the inaugural ONE Light Heavyweight World Championship.
Aung La N Sang has kept an eye on Pasternak, a Polish ADCC Champion who has now dropped to middleweight, and knows his game very well. “He’s a fighter, he’s game to fight,” the 29-year-old says. “He’s a grappler. That’s his strong suit. When you compare that to him losing to Roger Gracie, it’s not a big deal.
“I’m sure he’s going to come back trying to avenge his loss. He’s tough. It’s going to be a tough fight, it’s going to be a good fight. He’s 11-1, his only loss is to Roger Gracie, the best BJJ fighter in the world.”
While he has a great deal of respect for his opponent’s ground game and toughness, Aung La N Sang feels that his own growing skill set will be too much for his Polish opponent to handle. After all, he possesses an outstanding Muay Thai striking game, along with an impressive ground prowess of his own that earned him the nickname of “Burmese Python”.
“His greatest strengths are his jiujitsu and his grappling. He’s pretty big for the weight class. He’s long and he has a lot of reach,” the Myanmar fighter explains, dissecting his opponent. “I don’t feel like he has power. I don’t feel like he has that explosiveness.
“My strengths are that I can box, I can grapple, and I can finish fights with all that,” he continues. “I think I can match his strength and I can overpower him with his weaknesses. It’s a good matchup, but I’m way more experienced than he is and I’m going to be too powerful for him.”
There is no denying Aung La N Sang is a hometown hero on the verge of becoming a true breakout star throughout Myanmar. He senses the opportunity and appreciates all of the love and support from his loyal family, friends, and fans. Beyond the admiration, he wants to be a key figure and pioneer his birth nation’s evolution and progression in relation to combat sports. He is confident and excited, as he already feels Myanmar is moving in the right direction.
“It’s an honor for me to be able to do this, and at the same time, be able to do what I love. To be able to be a pioneer in MMA for Myanmar is an honor,” the middleweight says.
“It makes me feel very good. I think they deserve it. The people in Myanmar are genuinely good people. This positive change is going to positively affect the next generation. I feel like it’s something that the people deserve, and good people will shine when the country opens up and gets more progressive.”
Whether it is inside or outside of the cage, Aung La N Sang has a multitude of traits that are worthy of admiration. He looks to give the crowd even more reason to cheer when he steps back into the cage on 7 October, and he predicts the presence and passion of the fans will only add fuel to his already-blazing fire.
“I’m excited about this fight because I love fighting.” N Sang said. “I get to do it in front of my fans. The buzz this time is going to be electric. It’s an honor for me to be able to represent my country and I’m sure my country is going to bring it too.
“When the crowd cheers for me, it gives me a little more push and drive. It’s going to be just as crazy, if not crazier. It’s going to be a bigger crowd. I’m ready for it. I’m excited to put on a good show.”
