5 Defining Moments: Aung La N Sang

From his conquests inside the cage to his advocacies and charity work, Aung La N Sang is every inch a hero in his native of Myanmar. His humble career has been sprinkled with defining moments, and here are five that stand out so far.

Early Dominance

N Sang may have lost his professional debut, but he bounced back big time by going undefeated in his next five bouts. He finished all five of his opponents in five different promotions, including King of the Cage. What’s even more impressive is the fact that all five wins came in the first round. With this streak, N Sang proved the way to getting back on track after a loss is through hard work and perseverance.

Falling Short

N Sang’s first attempt at One Championship gold was spoiled by then undefeated Russian finisher Vitaly Bigdash. The native of Myanmar certainly made a good account of himself, driving his foe to the final bell for the first time in his career. But it was Bigdash who had the bigger moments in what was a thrilling contest that ended with a unanimous decision win. The setback eventually opened up an opportunity to come back better and stronger for N Sang.

A Hero Rises

One FC: Pride of a Nation, however, told a different story. While N Sang did allow some takedowns on a few occasions, it was his early conquest that made the difference. In fact, he almost finished Bigdash in the opening round. The Russian deserved credit for his durability, but in the end, the damage inflicted proved enough for “The Burmese Python” to be awarded the decision victory and the One Championship middleweight title. N Sang also became Myanmar’s first world champion in the process and just might be the first for the country in any mainstream sport.

Two-Division Champ

Unlike in his two fights with Bigdash, N Sang didn’t have a hard time dealing with Alexandre Machado for the One Championship light heavyweight belt. He only needed 56 seconds to dispose of the Brazilian and he did it with a devastating head kick followed up by punches. With his triumph, N Sang became only the second One Championship fighter to hold two titles at the same time.

Impressive Defenses

N Sang has yet to defend his light heavyweight belt but has been phenomenal at safekeeping his 185 pound strap. In fact, all three of his title defenses haven’t gone the distance. He TKO’d Ken Hasegawa twice as well as the previously unbeaten Mohammad Karaki once. In all, he has collected 11 wins by KO or TKO and 12 by submission.