“See you on the other side my friend” - Aung La N Sang pens heartfelt message for late Anthony Johnson

Former ONE middleweight and light heavyweight world champion Aung La N Sang is currently en route to Singapore to make his highly anticipated return to the circle against Japanese legend Yushin Okami.

However, tragedy struck earlier this week when former UFC veteran Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson passed away due to a rare disease that has left the entire MMA world shaken, including Aung La. ‘The Burmese Python’ took to Instagram to pen a heartfelt message to his former training partner and friend. Aung La N Sang wrote:

“See you on the other side my friend Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson! I’m going to miss you kicking me in the head and then fixing your shin guard when I’m about to kick you back. I’m going to miss your positive talks before going into a fight. Most of all I’m going to miss your smile in the gym. 🙏❤️”

Aung La N Sang will face Yushin Okami at ONE 163: Akimoto vs. Petchtanong on Saturday, November 19, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. It’s the 37-year-old former double champ's first fight since the February loss to Russian rival Vitaly Bigdash. Aung La is looking to break out of his recent slump, which has seen him drop three of his last four fights in ONE Championship.

Meanwhile, Okami is making his return to action after more than three years away from competition. ‘Thunder’ was last seen in a close split decision victory over former ONE welterweight world title challenger Agilan ‘Alligator’ Thani at ONE: Century in 2019.

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Aung La N Sang looking to steer his career in the right direction

As he deals with the loss of a friend, Aung La N Sang will certainly be looking to shift his focus to his own career as he heads into battle at ONE 163.

‘The Burmese Python’ is coming off a loss against divisional rival Vitaly Bigdash earlier this year and is 1-3 in his last four outings. Despite his recent slide, Aung La believes he still has one more world title run in him, and he is eager to get that started as soon as possible.

Speaking to SCMP MMA, Aung La N Sang said that it doesn’t matter where he trains or who he trains with because at the end of the day, it’s going to be up to him to determine if he'll emerge victorious come fight night:

“It's really up to the person that's going to the cage. You could have the best whatever, but you're the one that's going in there, so I have to be, everything is accounted for in my hands. It doesn't matter if you are in the best gym or in the worst gym, you're the captain of your own destiny.”

Watch Aung La N Sang be the captain of his own destiny against Yushin Okami at ONE 163 on November 19.