Aung La N Sang says Reinier de Ridder made him a better fighter

Former two-division ONE world champion Aung La N Sang is riding back-to-back KO wins and will look to score a third when he faces Fan Rong at ONE Fight Night 10. Since losing his ONE light heavyweight and middleweight world title, 'The Burmese' Python has gone 3-1 in his next four bouts in the promotion.

Reinier de Ridder, the man who took Aung La's belts away in back-to-back fights, will also be competing on the same night on May 5th against IBJJF world champion Tye Ruotolo in a middleweight submission grappling match. De Ridder, who is a grappling specialist, dominated Aung La N Sang by grounding him and eliminating his KO power on the feet.

'The Burmese Python' addressed his rivalry with 'The Dutch Knight' in a recent "Ask Me Anything" session on Reddit:

Aung La N Sang's AMA session on Reddit

Redditor Busy-Application-628:

"What do you think you have to improve in your skills to beat rdr? I see him training hard with Gordan and other adcc players. Would you also train with them to face rdr for the third time because rdr might have improved and learned a lot from them. However, rdr striking skill is nowhere near you so as long as you don't get taken down, you could knock him out at some point in the match. May I know your opinion?"

Aung La N Sang replied with:

"BJJ is an element that I’ve neglected since I’ve been in Florida. And RDR is very proficient at it. I’ve been doing private lessons and putting the work every other day now to get my BJJ better for the last two years. The last thing I said to him in the cage was, “Thank you for making me a better fighter.” I am a better fighter because of him. And I believe if we fight again it will be much different."

The humility Aung La exemplifies here is admirable. This is why he is more than just a prizefighter. He is a martial artist through and through. Every failure is just an opportunity to grow and learn, which further adds to his legacy as a fighter.

Aung La N Sang will face Fan Rong on the main card of ONE Fight Night 10 live from the 1stBank Center in Colorado. Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America can catch the event live and for free in US primetime on May 5.