Aung La N Sang reflects on how he went from beekeeping to becoming a world champion: “My passion was really into fighting”

Former double ONE world champion Aung La N Sang is amazed at how he was able to carve a successful career in martial arts. It was not an easy journey, but something he is proud to have pulled off.

'The Burmese Python' opened up about it in an interview with the Combat Sports Today podcast in line with his scheduled return to action next week, narrating his journey to the United States in the early 2000s to study and then working as a beekeeper after and finding his way to competing in mixed martial arts.

The Kill Cliff FC standout said:

"I came to America for agriculture, to become a farmer, and to bring it back to my home country because agriculture is a big sector of the economy there. But a four-year college doesn’t really get you much. I worked at a dairy farm, but after my college years, my first job was a beekeeper. I loved it. Beekeeping was really cool. But my passion was really into fighting."

He added:

"So, I started fighting in 2005 and I kept at it. Even when I was a beekeeper, I had a couple of fights, and I was still training here and there. But then I said, ‘if I want to do this full time, I need to move and just focus on it full time. And ever since then, I’ve been doing this full time."

Watch the interview below:

Through the course of competing professionally for two decades now, Aung La N Sang has fought in 45 matches, winning 30 of them. He has spent the last 10 years in ONE Championship, where he has achieved a lot of success, compiling a 14-4 record while becoming the middleweight and light heavyweight MMA world champion.

His ONE journey continues on Feb. 20 at ONE 171: Qatar, where he will battle Turkish fighter Shamil Erdogan in a rematch at middleweight. It is part of the event happening at the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail.

For more information on ONE 171, check out onefc.com.

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Aung La N Sang says MMA will always be part of his life

Aung La N Sang has received a lot doing mixed martial arts and sees himself continue doing it in various capacities when he eventually calls it a career.

The now-39-year-old Burmese-American fighter made this known in the same interview with Combat Sports Today, highlighting how MMA has been part of his daily life and that he does not see himself staying away from the sport now and moving forward.

He said:

"I'm in camp, I still feel good, you know? And then right after the fight, I'm gonna help the next guys in the gym, training with them, working with them. This is my life, you know? We keep that routine going, we don't deviate from the routine. So, it's good. Life is good."

Aung La N Sang was last in action back in September in the United States, losing to Shamil Erdogan.