‘Reug Reug’ credits the people of Senegal for his rise: “The entire country is behind me”

Senegalese heavyweight fighter Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane has been on a steady rise in ONE Championship of late, inspired partly by the support he has been getting from fans in his hometown.

The 31-year-old Thiaroye sur Mer native streaked to his third straight victory at ONE Fight Night 13 on Prime Video on August 4 in Bangkok.

‘Reug Reug’ topped erstwhile undefeated Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida of Brazil in their featured showdown at the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

The 971 MMA/Black Panther Sports standout steadily dismantled ‘Buchecha’ throughout their three-round, 15-minute clash, attacking from all directions, be it standing up or on the ground.

The Brazilian legend tried to hold his own through his extensive jiu-jitsu experience. But while he had his moments, they were not enough to swing the tide in his favor.

Speaking to the South China Morning Post following his hard-earned victory, ‘Reug Reug’ shared that apart from the hard work he puts in training, his upswing is also a result of the extra motivation he receives from Senegalese fans, saying:

“When I need to push hard in the ring, it is because the fans are behind me, you know, and I'm also thanking all my fans in Senegal, because the entire country is behind me. They're all praying for me. So now I'm praying for them. I hope that everything is going to be fine over there.”

Watch the interview below:

The win, his third in less than a year, earned ‘Reug Reug’ a $50,000 performance bonus from ONE CEO and Chairman Chatri Sityodtong.

It also solidified his standing as a contender for the ONE heavyweight world title, currently in the possession of Russian world champion Anatoly Malykhin.

Replay of ONE Fight Night 13 is available for free to Prime Video subscribers in North America.