“He’s one of the best guys in the division” - ‘Reug Reug’ says beating ‘Buchecha’ took him to another level
'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane was confident he'd receive a heavyweight MMA title shot after defeating Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida.
In August 2023, ONE Championship showcased a clash between heavyweight powerhouses at ONE Fight Night 13. The matchup featured Senegalese grappler 'Reug Reug,' who held a promotional MMA record of 5-1 at the time, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend 'Buchecha' (4-0).
'Reug Reug' and 'Buchecha' battled for three rounds, with the former emerging victorious by unanimous decision. As a result, the Senegalese contender was awarded a heavyweight MMA title shot against three-division king Anatoly Malykhin, which goes down at Friday's ONE 169.
During an interview with ONE, Kane had this to say about being confident his win against Almeida would earn him more respect:
"Yes. I knew that when I beat Buchecha, I would be fighting for the belt. He’s one of the best guys in the division."
Anatoly Malykhin vs. Oumar Kane will headline ONE 169, which takes place inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. The Nov. 8 event featuring three world title fights can be seen live and for free by North American viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Reug Reug looks to utilize momentum to secure world title at ONE 169
'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane's lone ONE Championship loss was against Kirill Grishenko in April 2021. Since then, he's bounced back with MMA wins against Batradz Gazzaev (second-round submission), Jasur Mirzamukhamedov (unanimous decision), and Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida (unanimous decision).
Kane also secured a first-round knockout in his lone promotional kickboxing bout against Boucher Ketchup in July.
The Senegalese powerhouse must showcase the best performance of his career to secure a win at ONE 169. Heading into Friday's event, Anatoly Malykhin has solidified himself as the most dangerous fighter in the promotion by becoming a three-division world champion (middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight).
It should be noted that no fighter has gone the distance with Malykhin. The well-rounded Russian holds a professional MMA record of 14-0, including six wins under the ONE Championship banner (all knockouts). Only time will tell if Kane can pull off the upset in Bangkok, Thailand.