Aung La N Sang ready to play guard against grappling powerhouse Shamil Erdogan: “I won’t be surprised if I’m there”

Aung La N Sang is prepared for a couple of grappling exchanges in his upcoming fight against Shamil Erdogan.

At ONE 168: Denver, Aung La looks to extend his winning streak to four fights, with the first three ending inside the distance.

To do so, the former two-division MMA world champion must take out Erdogan, a new middleweight contender who defeated Fan Rong in his promotional debut at ONE Friday Fights 22.

Aung La has evolved into a well-rounded mixed martial arts, but he's mostly known for his dangerous striking skills.

Meanwhile, the undefeated Erdogan is dangerous on the ground and has the ability to drown his opponents.

During a video posted on his YouTube channel, 'The Burmese Python' had this to say about preparing for Erdogan's grappling attack:

"Today, I worked a lot of back positions, which I know I might get into in the fight. I won’t be surprised if I’m there. Lots of back position, lots of hard work."

ONE 168: Denver will showcase a stacked fight card inside the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. Tickets for the highly anticipated event on September 6, featuring two world title matchups, can be found on Ticketmaster.

Watch Aung La N Sang's previously mentioned YouTube video below:

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What's at stake between Aung La N Sang and Shamil Erdogan?

Aung La N Sang's road to back to ONE Championship gold has proven he has plenty of gas left in the tank. Following three consecutive finishes, the 39-year-old could be on the verge of a middleweight title shot against three-division world champion Anatoly Malykhin.

As for Shamil Erdogan, the undefeated Turkish fighter had high expectations heading into his ONE debut.

The 34-year-old quickly validated his hype by taking out Fan Rong with a second-round knockout.

On September 6, Aung La N Sang and Erdogan are likely battling for a middleweight title shot.

The question is, when will the winner face Malykhin? Firstly, the Russian powerhouse is defending his heavyweight MMA throne against 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane on November 8 at ONE 169: Atlanta.

Following Malykhin vs. Reug Reug, the three-division MMA world champion could defend his light heavyweight title or return to middleweight in late 2024.