“I will be coaching the next generation” - Aung La N Sang says he’ll embrace a mentorship role once he decides to retire
Aung La N Sang is not done with his fighting career, but is setting himself up for a possible coaching career after retirement. It's how he plans to give back to martial arts, which has treated him well and provided a lot opportunities for him.
'The Burmese Python' said so in an interview with the South China Morning Post, intimating as well that he has started mentoring his kids and nephews in preparation for an eventual transition to coaching new-generation fighters at some point in the future.
Aung La N Sang said:
"For sure. I will be coaching the next generation. My son and Tial's son are already at an age where they're competing. They're competing in jiu-jitsu, next year they'll be competing in kickboxing as well. So, this is going to be the next generation."
Watch the interview below:
Aung La N Sang, 39, is one of the longest-tenured fighters in ONE Championship, having competed in the promotion since 2014. He has had immense success competing under the organization, even holding both the ONE middleweight and light heavyweight MMA world titles simultaneously at one point. As things stand, he holds a 14-3 record.
Aung La N Sang returns to action at ONE 168
Aung La N Sang is set to make his return to action next month in the United States after more than a year since his last match in ONE Championship.
The former double ONE world champion will compete in a middleweight MMA showdown against Turkish opponent Shamil Erdogan at ONE 168 in Denver, Colorado, on Sept. 6. It is part of the event happening at the Ball Arena in Denver and airing live and for free at U.S. primetime to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
The Burmese-American fighter's last match was in May 2023, also in Colorado where he went home with a submission victory over Fan Rong of China for his third straight victory. While it took some time in between fights for Aung La, he made sure he stayed in shape, working on his game with his team at Kill Cliff FC.
Meanwhile, out to clip the winning run of 'The Burmese Python' is Erdogan, 34, who made a successful ONE debut in June last year.
Tickets for ONE 168: Denver are available for purchase on Ticketmaster.