ONE Championship lead commentator and Fox Sports Presenter Steve Dawson gives his take on this middleweight matchup that could have huge implication for the ONE Middleweight World Championship.
Few sights in MMA can draw parallels with the reception Aung La N Sang receives when he returns from the place he calls home in the USA to his native Myanmar. Perhaps only Brandon Vera in the Philippines is comparable.
In a country where lethwei dominates combat sport, mixed martial arts provides an international bridge for its fighters. Fans are eager to see their countrymen compete with the world’s best fighters, but as lethwei has few international peers, MMA provides the best platform for international pride among the Myanmar people.
Aung La N Sang (18-9) certainly provided that in March when he made his Myanmar debut, beating Mohamed Ali by guillotine choke midway through the first round. That was his second ONE fight; the first was also over early via TKO by punches after just 67 seconds.
The big test came against Aleksei Butorin in Hefei, China. An arm triangle choke did the business there in the second round, which was impressive given Butorin’s undefeated 10-0 record at the time.
His opponent, Michel Pasternak had his last outing during a shot at the ONE Light Heavyweight World Title, where he came unstuck in the second round against Brazil’s Roger Gracie. The BJJ world champion always looked a little bigger as well as a little better, and the smart money was therefore on Pasternak coming down to middleweight for his immediate ONE future.
That Gracie chocked the Polish fighter into oblivion underlined the new champion’s successful transition from BJJ to MMA, and Pasternak would do well not to take it to heart.
However, meeting Aung La N Sang in the middleweight division where the Myanmar fighter is comfortable and in his own backyard of Yangon, is another in-your-face matchup that severely threatens another blemish on Pasternak’s proud 11-1 record.
The home fighter uses his weight tremendously well, leaning on opponents, punching in a downward arc, and presenting a wide base on the ground. He has a 100 per cent finishing record from his 18 wins which is simply remarkable.
Aung La N Sang is as valuable to ONE championship in Yangon as Vera is in Manila, and Ann Osman has been in Kuala Lumpur. But ONE is no slave to the box office. These fighters are matched with the best fighters available, and Pasternak represents a fearsome proposition.
With home support perhaps providing a winning edge, this one could be a gruelling battle. If it goes all the way, it’s worth noting that the Myanmar hero has been the distance three times, but never won. Pasternak, on the other hand, has seen five of his 11 wins go to the judges’ scorcards.
Steve Dawson is ONE Championship’s lead commentator, a Fox Sports presenter and an author of sporting biographies. He can be found on Twitter & Instagram as @Gulasahi and on Facebook as Steve Dawson.
