Undefeated Turkish MMA star Shamil Erdogan is set to go head to head with former ONE two-division world champion Aung La N Sang in a middleweight contest at the organization’s next US event, ONE 168: Denver, which takes place in the morning hours on September 7.
A Turkish Olympic Freestyle Wrestling team member, the 33-year-old opened his ONE account with an impressive TKO win against Chinese counterpart Fan Rong last June.
The Turkish, whose arsenal includes world-class grappling, takedowns and technical striking, would be keen to push his clean overall MMA record to 10-0 at the expense of a well-established veteran.
The surging Erdogan faces a tough test as Aung La N Sang is a former ONE champion across two divisions, boasts 15 wins in his run within the organization, and has won his last three fights against Japan’s Yushin Okami, Brazil’s Gilberto Galvao, and Fan Rong.
Also, the 39-year-old veteran will most probably enjoy the support of the American crowd as he has spent most of his career training in the United States.
ONE 168: Denver’s sees ONE Flyweight Kickboxing world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 challenge Jonathan Haggerty for the latter’s Bantamweight Muay Thai world title.
The card includes several top fights with Kade Ruotolo defending his ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling world crown against ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling title holder Mikey Musumeci in an all-American affair.
Britain’s Liam Harrison is also scheduled to make his long-awaited comeback against fan-favorite Seksan Or Kwanmuang who suffered his first loss in nine bouts in his most recent bout.
ONE 168: Denver kicks off at 3:00 AM Mecca on September 7.