Aung La N Sang may not be getting any younger, but his hunger to reach the top once more in ONE Championship hasn’t wavered. 

The former two-division king is set to make his highly anticipated return to the global stage against the undefeated Shamil Erdogan at ONE 168: Denver on U.S. primetime on Friday, September 6, inside Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, and their middleweight MMA matchup could easily have World Title implications. 

Aung La N Sang weighs in on Shamil Erdogan’s prowess

Through his last three fights, Aung La has shown that he still has plenty left in the tank. The 39-year-old has stopped each opponent within two rounds, and he’s aiming for gold after gaining a fourth consecutive win early next month.

“Guys like [Erdogan], you know, undefeated Russians – they’re good hammers. He’s not the last undefeated Russian I want to fight, either,” he said. 

Currently, the middleweight MMA ranks are reigned by three-division World Champion Anatoly Malykhin, who also sports a perfect 14-0 professional slate. He is undeniably the ultimate focus of any contender in the stacked division.

However, Aung La isn’t taking his eye off the task at hand, as he knows Erdogan will be a difficult opponent to overcome.

Should he put him down, though, “The Burmese Python” believes he is the logical choice for the first shot at Malykhin’s gold – given his legacy and recent run of form.

“The longest-reigning champ, the most title defenses, and on a four-winning streak should get the title [shot], but really nothing matters more than Shamil,” he said. 

“We can talk all we want, but nothing really matters unless I get the job done, and it’s a hard job. It ain’t an easy job.”

Where do Erdogan and Aung La stand?

Erdogan will enter ONE 168 with a 9-0 record, which includes a knockout win over Fan Rong in his promotional debut in June last year. 

He’ll be seeking a 10th win in order to enter the World Title conversation. But Aung La has done a lot in his ONE tenure, and he knows another shot at the divisional throne is within his grasp.

With so much on the line, fans should be prepped for a barnburner when these two titans collide in Denver.