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Newly crowned ONE heavyweight MMA world champion Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane was given a hero's welcome when he and his team made their triumphant return home to Senegal.
The celebration started once he arrived at the Balise Diagne International Airport, where he was welcomed by officials of Senegal's sports ministry as well as a band and dancers. He later met members of media and his fans.
A parade to his town of Thiaroye Sur-Mer ensued, where 'Reug Reug' and his team, which included coach Ramzi Yahia, were cheered on by the crowd along the way. When they reached their destination, more celebration took place, with prominent figures taking turns in expressing gratitude to the ONE world champion and congratulating him for his feat.
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ONE Championship shared a video of the homecoming of Senegal's new sports hero on its official YouTube channel.
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Check out the video below:
'Reug Reug' made history by becoming the first African-born ONE world champion when he defeated erstwhile heavyweight king Anatoly Malykhin by split decision in the headlining contest at ONE 169 on Nov. 8 at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
He got off to a solid start that saw him taking 'Sladkiy' down and inflicting some damage. The 32-year-old wrestler held tough the rest of the way to earn the win and the belt.
The full replay of ONE 169 is available on demand to Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Senegal football team hails 'Reug Reug' title win
Apart from the fans, other Senegalese athletes hailed the title conquest of Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane at ONE 169 on Nov. 8. Among them was the national football team, who had the new ONE champion as a guest of honor in one of its recent matches.
The team welcomed the heavyweight MMA king to its Africa Cup of Nations match against Burundi at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium. There, 'Reug Reug' had the opportunity to present his belt to the Senegalese fans and interact with members of the football team.
He, too, was honored by the team with a celebration dedicated to him after scoring one of its two goals, which 'Reug Reug' enjoyed.
Check out the celebration below:
Apart from becoming world champion, the win improved the record of 'Reug Reug' in ONE Championship to 7-1.
