Aung La N Sang happy to be back in action on short notice to kick off 2023

Former double champion Aung La N Sang is on the comeback trail with a point to prove.

After a tough run in recent years, ‘The Burmese Python’ closed out 2022 with a win over Yushin Okami at ONE 163.

Looking to capitalize on his momentum and kick off 2023 in similar fashion to how he ended his previous year, Aung La was scheduled to face Fan Rong at ONE Fight Night 6 on Prime Video.

Unfortunately, when his opponent for January 13 was removed from the event following a positive COVID-19 test, it looked like the former middleweight and light heavyweight world champion would have to wait to get back inside the circle.

Instead, he was given a replacement opponent in Gilberto Galvao, which allows him to stay active and keep working towards building himself back up into title contention once again.

In an Instagram post, Aung La N Sang praised ONE Championship and CEO Chatri Sityodtong for keeping him busy and finding a new opponent:

“When I walked out of the @onechampionship circle my last fight, @yodchatri told me that he wants me back in 6 weeks. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to fight in Bangkok 🇹🇭 and keeping your word. My original opponent had Covid so I thank Gilberto Galvao for taking the bout with me. Fighters fight and I know we are going to put on a show for the fans. As always I want to thank my team at @killcliff_fc for preparing me for battle. Thank you to @henrihooft and @tuco300 for making the journey with me once again. I’m ready to represent.”

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WATCH: Aung La N Sang’s most terrifying finishes in ONE Championship

Aung La N Sang is one of the most experienced and successful fighters in ONE Championship history. Through his 17 fights inside the circle, ‘The Burmese Python’ has amassed 13 victories, with 11 of them coming via finish.

In homage to one of their most iconic fighters, ONE Championship uploaded a video to their YouTube channel featuring Aung La’s best finishes inside the circle:

In his last appearance, Aung La faced another veteran of the sport in Japan’s Yushin Okami. Despite his longevity in MMA, it didn’t take long for Aung La N Sang to find the finish, defeating Okami in under two minutes.

The bout was a crossroads fight of sorts for Aung La N Sang, who had previously dropped three of his past four. Now, he has the chance to turn things around further and create a winning streak for the first time since he held a belt.

Originally scheduled to face Fan Rong at ONE Fight Night 6 on Prime Video, Aung La was given Gilberto Galvao as a replacement opponent for January 13 on late notice.

Galvao is an MMA veteran with 30 victories to his name. In his four appearances in ONE Championship, he’s beaten Tatsuya Mizuno and Jake Butler, while falling to world champion Reinier de Ridder and UFC veteran Marcin Prachnio.