"Just another obstacle to something bigger" - Shamil Erdogan downplays clash with former two-division champ Aung La N Sang
Shamil Erdogan seems awfully calm for a man about to face one of the most distinguished world champions in ONE Championship history.
The undefeated Turkish powerhouse will slug it out in a possible middleweight MMA world title eliminator against Aung La N Sang at ONE 168: Denver on September 6 at Ball Arena.
The fact that he will be sharing the circle with a former middleweight and light heavyweight MMA world title is not lost on Erdogan.
However, the 34-year-old believes beating a big name like 'The Burmese Python' will be his stepping stone to greater challenges, particularly a world title shot against 205-pound MMA kingpin Anatoly Malykhin.
Erdogan told ONE in an exclusive interview:
"Defeating him means nothing to me. It's just another obstacle to something bigger. I hope to get a fight for the ONE belt soon after this one."
In hindsight, Erdogan's supreme confidence is warranted, considering he hasn't met an adversary he couldn't beat in battle.
The Kremost Fight Club affiliate holds a perfect 9-0 MMA record. This includes a merciless mauling of Fan Rong in his promotional debut last year.
Then again, Aung La N Sang has been sipping on the fountain of youth as of late, with three straight vicious finishes.
Erdogan certainly can't let his guard down against a proven battle-tested warrior at ONE 168: Denver.
Aung La N Sang says Shamil Erdogan will be a tough challenge
Aung La N Sang knows there's a reason why Shamil Erdogan remains undefeated in MMA.
In a South China Morning Post interview, the 39-year-old Burmese legend praised the Turkish star's well-rounded arsenal.
While the former double-champ is admittedly wary of Erdogan's skills, Aung La reckons he has faced better competition before, saying:
"He's probably one of the better fighters I've fought in a while. Definitely not the best fighter I've fought. It's going to be good."
Tickets for ONE 168: Denver are available via Ticketmaster