"Perfect matchup" - Reinier de Ridder on a possible Aung La N Sang vs. Yushin Okami fight

Reinier de Ridder is amped to see a potential legend versus legend showdown between former two-division ONE world champion Aung La N Sang and Japanese veteran Yushin Okami.

The two mixed martial arts stars expressed their collective desire to fight each other inside ONE Championship’s circle, with both calling each other out on Twitter.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post’s Tom Taylor, Reinier de Ridder said that a fight between Okami and Aung La would benefit the two MMA veterans whatever the result.

The ONE light heavyweight and middleweight world champion said:

“It’s a perfect matchup. I’m super excited for it, I hope they make it happen soon. It’s a cool matchup, great for both of them. I’m really excited to see it.”

Catch the full interview below:

Aung La was the first to call out Okami on Twitter when he asked the Japanese fighter to a potential match in June.

Okami was quick to respond to Aung La’s respectful callout, telling ‘The Burmese Python’ that he was down to scrap.

Aung La, who once held de Ridder’s titles, was previously one of the most dominant forces in ONE Championship. From 2017 to 2019, Aung La amassed a seven-fight winning streak, including a victory over then-ONE heavyweight world champion Brandon Vera.

Okami, meanwhile, is still one of the most dangerous middleweights in the division. The 40-year-old is coming off a split decision win over Agilan Thani in October 2019.

---

All love between Reinier de Ridder and Aung La N Sang

Aung La and de Ridder may have featured in two high-octane fights, but the rivals have formed a tight relationship outside of the cage.

'The Dutch Knight' and Aung La met in successive matches in October 2020 and April 2021, with de Ridder winning both matches to reach double champ status.

He then went on a gym tour across the United States and his first stop was Sanford MMA where Aung La trains.

Reinier de Ridder said he wasn’t the only one who go to spend time with Aung La, his family also got to enjoy Florida with the Burmese MMA legend.

“It was special. After those fights, it was very good to see him. We got some time to chat, he met my wife, met my kids, so it was very special. It was very good, I learned some stuff from him, had some kickboxing rounds, it was very good.”