"I don't think we're the same fighters anymore" - Aung La N Sang says his third fight with Vitaly Bigdash will be different

After almost five years, Aung La N Sang and Vitaly Bigdash will finally face each other for the third time at ONE: Full Circle on February 25.

While they fought in two epic bouts on back-to-back occasions, Aung La believes that this will be a totally new experience for both of them, as well as the fans. He said:

“Since our first meeting five years ago, I don't think we're the same fighters anymore. You're going to fight working on all your skill sets, and you gameplan the best for the guy you're going to fight.”

'The Burmese Python' lost their first matchup in January 2017’s ONE: Quest for Power. Back then, he stepped in as a late replacement to Bigdash’s original opponent, Marcin Prachnio.

However, Aung La came back better prepared five months later at ONE: Light of a Nation to even the score with Bigdash. He then embarked on his first reign as middleweight king.

With their paths diverging since then, Aung La believes that preparations will be vastly different from the last time they fought. He stated:

“I approached this as a brand new fight. It's not like we fought a few months ago. It's been five years ago. But we did go 10 rounds, so I know what his strong suit is. I know what his skill set is. But he's still going to develop as a fighter and I'm still going to develop as a fighter. You're going to see a better version, a better trilogy match than what you saw in the first two showings.”

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Both Aung La N Sang and Vitaly Bigdash have evolved over the years

Aung La N Sang believes that, as fighters, they are constantly evolving and growing. He observed some key changes in Bigdash over the years, saying:

“He's always well rounded. I'm sure everything is a little bit sharper and a little bit cleaner and a little stronger. I think his submission game is good. His striking is good. He's a great opponent. I know in the past few years he's been training to get better at all aspects. So I think the fans are in for a treat.”

Aung La N Sang has competed more times than Bigdash over the past few years, which has helped him grow as a fighter as well. He believes that both of their evolutions will produce an incredible ending to their trilogy.

“I've gotten better, I would say. And for sure, he's improved as well. If you liked the last two fights, this one's gonna be better. We're both more mature and better mixed martial artists.”