The highly anticipated ONE 168: Denver has finally ended with some outstanding performances from the fighters. One of the most anticipated fights of the night was the clash between former two-division World Champion Aung La N Sang and the undefeated Shamil Erdogan. ‘The Burmese Python’ was desperate to keep his winning momentum going but failed to get past the challenge of Erdogan.

Erdogan featured in the second fight of his ONE career and seemed unfazed by the challenge ahead of him. The 34-year-old finished Aung La in the second round of their bout and later took the opportunity to call out three-division World Champion Anatoly Malykhin. During his post-fight interview, he said, “Anatoly Malykhin right now you step into my territory and I am ready to defeat you in your division. Stay tuned for that thank you.” The Turkish fighter is now eyeing the middleweight title which Malykhin currently holds. Let us look at how he walked past the challenge of the former two-division champion. 

Shamil Erdogan manhandles Aung La N Sang at ONE 168: Denver 

Shamil Erdogan won his fight against Aung La N Sang through a technical knockout in the second round, proving to everyone that he is here to stay. In just the second fight of his ONE career, the Turkish wrestler impressed everyone with his performance. Before this fight, the former two-division was on a roll, as he was unbeaten in his last three fights. However, the 34-year-old Turkish fighter was too much for him as he couldn’t handle the pressure.  Erdogan used his sublime wrestling skills in the first round and spent most of the time controlling the fight. 

However, the Turkish fighter stepped up the pressure in the second round and finally ended the fight after landing some hard blows. The 39-year-old fighter had no answer to the takedowns and could not come out of that. Erdogan managed the distance well and used his striking smartly to hurt his opponent. Before the fight, Aung La N Sang clarified that he was planning to stay in the middleweight division to get a title shot. However, it now seems that the Turkish fighter has ruined his plans with a dominant performance against him. 

Erdogan called out the three-division champion after his second ONE Championship victory. However, the Russian is busy preparing himself for his heavyweight clash against Oumar Kane at ONE 169: Atlanta. Malykhin has never shied away from any challenge in his career and made it clear during one of his interviews with ONE Championship that he would love to face Erdogan for a rematch. But first, take a look at his upcoming clash at ONE 169: Atlanta. 

Anatoly Malykhin is ready for his upcoming challenges in different divisions

Three-division champion Anatoly Malykhin is never short of opponents, and this time, he will be defending his heavyweight title against Oumar Kane. The Senegalese powerhouse has earned himself the opportunity to get a title shot after displaying some outstanding performances inside the ring. ‘Reug Reug’ is currently on a four-fight winning streak and will be facing his biggest challenge to date in his career. The pair have been involved in many social media brawls lately, and the fans can expect nothing but fireworks when they meet next. Malykhin has made it clear that he will be aiming for a knockout victory against Kane and feels there are a lot of weaknesses in his game, especially his conditioning. 

While he was preparing to defend his heavyweight title, the Russian had a keen eye on the ONE 168: Denver clash. Malykhin currently holds the middleweight title and made it clear that he would be defending the belt against anyone. He showed his willingness to take on Erdogan for a rematch and, during an interview with ONE Championship, said, “I remember Erdogan from freestyle wrestling. He won against me at the Yarygin Cup Rybinsk tournament. So, this fight would be a good rematch, now under MMA rules.” However, he also pointed out the only weakness in his game and said, “He’s a good fighter! He has excellent wrestling and strong striking. However, his conditioning is not at the highest level, but his striking and wrestling are top-notch.” 

With Shamil Erdogan winning his fight against Aung La N Sang, he issued a statement to the rest of the fighters in the division. However, the biggest question is whether he can get a title shot soon. Let us know about it in the comments below.