"Hats off to him" - Reece McLaren credits Hu Yong's improvements for tough battle in last outing in Bangkok

Fourth-ranked ONE flyweight MMA competitor Reece McLaren has high praise for the massive leap that Chinese standout Hu Yong displayed when they fought this past May at ONE Fight Night 22.

'Lightning' said about Hu's performance in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA:

"Yeah, his wrestling defense was way better, and his get ups were way better than what I saw previously. And then, when I looked over in his corner, he's got the two Russian wrestlers that have done, I think, a phenomenal job with that team. So yeah, hats off to him. And he definitely was well more improved for wrestling."

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McLaren and 'Wolf Warrior' featured in one of the best fights at ONE Fight Night 22, showcasing the extent of their desire to eventually fight for 26 pounds of flyweight MMA gold.

As the Australian vet pointed out, Hu's knockout power was supplemented by a revamped ground game, which prevented McLaren from securing a submission finish.

Though Hu nearly knocked out McLaren multiple times throughout the three-round battle, McLaren's balanced effort on the feet and ground ultimately gave him the split-decision victory.

Reece McLaren to face Jarred Brooks at ONE Fight Night 26

Reece McLaren's quest to fight for the now-vacant ONE flyweight MMA world championship begins anew at ONE Fight Night 26 on Dec. 6. He will welcome ONE interim strawweight MMA world champion Jarred Brooks to the 135-pound MMA ranks.

'The Monkey God' is coming off a wondrous submission of Gustavo Balart to win the interim 125-pound MMA crown this past August and will now look to plant his flag in the flyweight MMA division by upsetting McLaren.

ONE Fight Night 26 will occur inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The event will be available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.