“MMA math doesn't make sense” - Aung La N Sang says third bout with Vitaly Bigdash is completely different from first two fights

Aung La N Sang and Vitaly Bigdash are set to clash for a third time at ONE: Full Circle on Friday. Despite their history, Aung La believes that no one is carrying a definitive edge over the other heading into their upcoming bout.

In 2017, Aung La and Bigdash earned a victory over each other, with the former claiming the ONE middleweight world title after their second meeting.

Before a third bout could happen, Bigdash suffered a knockout loss to Leandro Ataides in their May 2018 clash at ONE: Grit & Glory. In July 2021’s ONE: Battleground, Aung La knocked out Ataides in the first round of their matchup.

Based on MMA math, it would be logical to assume that Aung La will knock Bigdash out when they meet. However, ‘The Burmese Python’ begged to disagree. During an interview with ONE Championship, he said:

“MMA math doesn’t make sense. You and I both know that, you know? I just approach it as a very, very dangerous opponent and I have to impose my game and that’s the only key to victory. Nothing else in our past matters, nothing else matters.”

It’s a sentiment that Bigdash agrees with, saying MMA math and reality are totally different. What they do agree on is that this fight will determine the clear winner of their rivalry. Aung La added:

“I mean, I feel this is gonna end this fight. And that’s what I’ve trained for. The last five years have been dedicated to becoming a better mixed martial artist, and he’s the reason why I moved down to Florida, to have a more professional environment. So this fight’s gonna end in a bang.”

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Aung La N Sang and Vitaly Bigdash not looking too far ahead

Both Aung La N Sang and Vitaly Bigdash are on the hunt to re-claim lost gold. However, they are laser-focused on the task at hand.

Asked about a potential matchup with current ONE middleweight world champion Reinier de Ridder, Bigdash said he’s not even thinking about it yet. In an interview with ONE Championship, he said:

“I don’t like to assume and think ahead and tell that. I feel like it’s not the right thing to do. Right now, I’m focused on Aung La, and I’m focused on the victory at hand. Whatever happens after this, we will think about the next.”

For his part, Aung La N Sang also has no clear plans of what he’ll do next, saying:

“Can’t think of anything past Friday right now. Friday is all I can think of, so I’m sorry, not at the moment, but I wanna stay active.”

No matter the outcome, they will surely be interested to see who wins between de Ridder and Kiamrian Abbasov, who will be headlining the same card.