“One of the best fights of my life” - ‘Reug Reug’ says sickness hindered him from finishing ‘Buchecha’
Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane believes he fought one of the best fights of his life against 'Buchecha' last year. A truly impressive feat when you consider that the Senegalese sensation went into the high-stakes bout less than 100%.
After securing a win over the 17-time BJJ world champion last year, Oumar Kane will attempt to add a ONE world championship to his resume when he challenges three-division king Anatoly Malykhin for the ONE heavyweight MMA world championship.
Malykhin vs. 'Reug Reug' will headline a loaded ONE 169 card on Friday, Nov. 8 emanating from the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Looking back on his big win over 'Buchecha' during a recent interview with ONE Championship, Kane is confident he could have finished the Brazilian at ONE Fight Night 13 had he not been under the weather on fight night.
"But in my mind, I knew I had to beat Buchecha and I needed to fight," Kane said. "If I was not sick, I would have had no doubt that I could [finish] him. So it was a very difficult match for me. But it was one of the best fights of my life."
Will 'Reug Reug' take one of Anatoly Malykhin's three world titles at ONE 169?
Though he didn't end things inside the distance, Oumar Kane's performance against Almeida was nothing short of impressive and more than earned his opportunity to face Malykhin at ONE 169.
For the Russian juggernaut, it will be his first time defending the ONE heavyweight MMA world title since trading in his interim belt for undisputed gold against ex-champion Arjan Bhullar at ONE Friday Fights 22 last year.
In the time since, Malykhin has added the ONE middleweight MMA world title to his collection. Now holder of the ONE heavyweight, light heavyweight, and middleweight crowns, 'Sladkiy' is mixed martial arts' first-ever simultaneous three-division champion.
Now the question is, can he keep all of his belts intact? We'll find out in just a few short hours.
Fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE 169: Malykhin vs. ‘Reug Reug’ live on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, Nov. 8 in U.S. primetime.