ONE: CENTURY will go down as the single greatest event in martial arts history on Sunday, 13 October.
The incredible double-header is stacked with four World Title bouts, three World Grand Prix Championship Finals, and four World Champion versus World Champion matches.
One of the most anticipated clashes on this card is the light heavyweight duel between two-division ONE World Champion Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang and ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera, which is scheduled for PART II of ONE: CENTURY.
ONE Championship bantamweight Radeem Rahman is eager to see the action go down at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan. Also, he tells us who he thinks will win – and how.
Rahman knows a contest between the two World Champions can go either way, but the Singaporean gives a slight advantage to “The Burmese Python.”
“I feel Aung La [N Sang] will win – likely in the third or fourth round by TKO,” Rahman said.
The Singaporean has seen enough of the Hardknocks 365 representative to have faith in his prediction.
“The reason why I made this bold statement – no offense to anyone as they are both elite competitors – [is that] he’s really hungry for every bout,” Rahman explained.
While Aung La N Sang’s opponent has been the most dominant Heavyweight World Champion in ONE history, none of Vera’s opponents have emptied his gas tank. All of his lightning-quick finishes have come in the first round.
Although the Filipino warrior has shown he can weather any storm, Rahman thinks stamina could be the difference in this tilt. Should the bout go into later rounds, he believes the Myanmar athlete has the better conditioning.
“Aung La [N Sang]’s cardio is insane – and we’ve seen [him] finish a fight every time,” Rahman said. “[He] will push him to three or even four rounds.”
If their contest goes past the first two rounds, Rahman bets it will be business as usual for the Kachin State hero.
“Aung La [N Sang] won’t slow down, and he can still throw a lot of volume in his strikes,” Rahman explained.
Aung La N Sang loves to strike, and Rahman believes the two-division ONE World Champion is one of the most proficient hitters in the sport.
“We can see that Aung La [N Sand] has been improving in terms of the way he strikes, it’s all in the little details,” Rahman said. “It’s very easy to see that he knows when to throw, which punch or kicks to execute, instead of just randomly attacking. He’s very calculated in his offense.”
The threat of the 34-year-old’s striking has kept opponents at bay, and few opponents have ever taken the big man to the ground.
While Rahman thinks Aung La N Sang can win the ground game, he said the “The Burmese Python” should also use his range and power on the feet.
“Aung La [N Sang] was amazing in his last match. He has not really been tested on the ground yet, but that’s because to even get close to him to try for the takedown, you are going to have to risk getting in his range,” Rahman explained.
“When you do want to close it out, he can fool you with his footwork and give you that uppercut. It’s next to impossible to stay clear of his striking range if you move in.”
The stakes of this match-up weighs heavily on the legacies of both men.
In one corner, the greatest heavyweight in The Home Of Martial Arts wants to fulfill his career-long goal of becoming a two-division World Champion.
In the opposite corner, the Myanmar hero strives to maintain his run as the promotion’s only current two-division king.
Regardless of what transpires, 13 October will be a pivotal night in the careers of both juggernauts.
ONE: CENTURY is the biggest World Championship martial arts event in history. No organization has ever promoted two full-scale World Championship events in one day.
But The Home Of Martial Arts breaks new ground as it features 28 World Champions, four World Title bouts, three World Grand Prix Championship Finals, and four World Champion versus World Champion matches.
The action happens at the famous Ryogoku Kokugikan on 13 October in Tokyo, Japan.
Download the ONE Super App to catch all the action live and for free.
Read More From ONE Championship:
Brandon Vera Reveals Why He Challenged Aung La N Sang
Aung La N Sang Wants Another Bout Before Brandon Vera Showdown
