This past weekend in Bangkok, Thailand, Burmese MMA legend Aung La N Sang made his walk to the ring for the final time. Led by Burmese Rock legend Lay Phyu singing a live rendition of N Sang’s legendary walkout song, the entire crowd was behind the ONE championship star. The energy was high, but a certain level of nerves and tension remained. Waiting in the ring was Swedish powerhouse Sebastian Kadestam, riding a three fight win streak which included a knockout of the world renowned Roberto Soldic. Aung La N Sang on the other hand, was coming off two fights with Shamil Ergodan in which he suffered a loss in both.
With the ‘Burmese Python’ announcing his retirement prior to the bout, many worried that with one foot out the door N Sang may lay down his gloves following a third straight loss.
That would not be the case.
After a tentative first round, both N Sang and Kadestam began to turn up the heat. Exchanges in the pocket quickly turned bloody and dirty, with the Swede consistently backing up at the power of N Sang’s strikes. After eating a spinning elbow halfway through the round, Aung marched forward firing a barrage of hooks and uppercuts, sitting Kadestam down in the corner of the ring. The crowd went wild, as Aung La N Sang did what so many fighters fail to do: Retire on a win.
After an up and down start to Aung La N Sang’s career, not many would have guessed he would become one of the greatest fighters in ONE Championship history. Born in Myanmar, he moved to the United States at a young age. He began his professional MMA career in 2005, fighting primarily in promotions on the East Coast. He faced future UFC fighters such as Uriah Hall and Costas Philippou. He found mixed success, racking up a record of 15-9 fighting in the United States fighting for promotions such as Bellator, CFFC, and Ring Of Combat.
ONE Championship began aggressively expanding their MMA roster around 2014, searching for Asian fighters across the globe regardless of their country of residence. Aung La N Sang was one of the fighters signed, along with athletes such as Lowen Tynanes, Martin Nguyen, and the Lee Family. This was where it all changed for the Myanmar native.
Aung La N Sang proceeded to win four fights in a row, earning a title shot against Vitaly Bigdash at ONE: Quest for Power in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2017. Despite a spirited effort, N Sang fell short in his title attempt and lost the unanimous decision to Bigdash. He was given another opportunity to win the title just 6 months later, and this time flipped the script, defeating the champion Bigdash by unanimous decision, securing the first belt of his career and avenging his first loss in the promotion.
Following these two fights with Bigdash, Aung La N Sang put together one of the most impressive runs in promotional history. He finished six consecutive opponents, while securing and defending two different belts in the process.
N Sang became the first double champion in ONE history, cementing his status as a legend in Asian MMA. Following this incredible run, he would lose three out of four, including his trilogy bout with Bigdash and two fights to current UFC contender Reinier De Ridder.
Aung La N Sang has been a long term member of Kill Cliff FC in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Beloved amongst the gym and its members, Henry Hooft could be seen in N Sang’s corner at nearly all his fights. The same could be said for N Sang himself, who supports and corners countless fighters including Marc Andre Barriault, Linton Vassell, and even his former opponent Reinier De Ridder.
Aung La N Sang had a long career prior to ONE, meaning by the time his stretch of dominance ended, he was in his late 30’s with plenty of mileage on the body. The Burmese Python defeated Yushin Okami, Gilberto Galvao, and Rong Fan before getting finished twice by Turkish powerhouse Shamil Erdogan. Following his 28-second loss, N Sang announced his next fight would be his last.
With history not on his side, and an opponent six years younger than him, Aung La N Sang delivered perhaps the moment of his career, finishing Kadestam while his father cheered ringside. He was able to make the trip from Myanmar to Thailand for his son’s final fight and witness this incredible moment.
The pride of a nation, Aung La N Sang will forever be remembered as the first Burmese Mixed Martial Artist to make an impact on the world stage, and can be proud that he rides of into the sunset with a victory in his final bout and a seat in the ONE hall of fame waiting for him.