Picking up the pieces: Where does Aung La N Sang go from here?

Aung La N Sang is in a tricky situation. The former two-division ONE world champion now finds himself having lost three of his last four in the Circle, when just two-and-a-half years ago he was at the pinnacle of his career.

In just a little over 12 months’ time, Aung La has lost both his ONE middleweight and light heavyweight world titles and fallen in an all-important trilogy bout against longtime middleweight rival Vitaly Bigdash. That makes three very high-profile fights in which Aung La has simply faltered.

The formula hasn’t changed a lot. Aung La’s hands are still as dangerous as ever, cultivated by legendary Dutch kickboxer Henri Hooft among his killer teammates at Sanford MMA in South Florida.

There’s still no man in ONE Championship’s middleweight division that can truly stand and trade with ‘The Burmese Python' strike for strike. However, for Aung La to be able to move forward and turn the tide in this current slump, he needs to make the right adjustments.

Fortunately, Aung La is well aware of his predicament. He knows exactly where he needs to trim the hedges and affect some much-warranted changes.

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Back to the drawing board

Of course, after losing three of four, it’s back to the drawing board - even for the most decorated of world champions. Aung La N Sang was seen in a backstage video following his defeat to Bigdash, during which he detailed the changes he needs to make to his style.

Aung La N Sang spoke directly to the cameraman backstage, saying:

“Hey, sorry man, I let this one go. But we’ll keep going, you know. I just need to get better, man, my wrestling. He was just so strong on top. It is what it is, but we’ll get stronger. We’ll come back stronger.”

Wrestling and grappling have long been Aung La’s achilles heel. He’s worked extensively in his wrestling over the past few years. However, it may be time to enlist the aid of a dedicated wrestling and grappling coach to further bolster his mat skills.

The competition is only going to get stiffer, and with Bidash as well as reigning ONE middleweight and light heavyweight world champion Reinier de Ridder at the top of the food chain, Aung La needs to step it up.

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Who’s next for Aung La N Sang?

Before he can even think about getting a crack at the guys at the top, Aung La N Sang needs a couple of solid victories under his belt.

Although Aung La may be too much of a striking threat at this point for Yuri Simoes, the Brazilian grappling superstar could provide ‘The Burmese Python’ a stiff test on the ground. Which, coincidentally, is just what Aung La needs at the moment.

If that’s not an option, there’s ‘King Kong Warrior’ Fan Rong in the mix, who has a victory over Simoes, but losses to both Bigdash and de Ridder. He’s also a man Aung La is yet to face in the Circle.

Lastly, there’s newcomer Daniyal Zainalov, who is undefeated and riding high on his first victory in ONE Championship, also thanks to Simoes.

There are plenty of options for Aung La N Sang. If he so chooses, he can certainly course-correct his career in no time. The ball is firmly in his court.