“Reug Reug” knew he’d beat “Buchecha,” wants world title fight with Anatoly Malykhin

“Reug Reug” Oumar Kane made a definitive statement at ONE Fight Night 13 on Prime Video.

The Senegalese wrestler shocked the world in his heavyweight clash this past Friday, as he earned a unanimous decision victory over 17-time BJJ World Champion Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida and gave the Brazilian his first loss in MMA.

Kane’s adversary had recorded four straight finishes in as many fights in ONE Championship, all in less than three minutes of the opening round. Because of that, many considered Almeida to be next in line for a shot at Anatoly Malykin’s prestigious ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title.

But “Reug Reug” wasn’t willing to let Almeida use him as a stepping stone. And by prevailing, he shook up the division.

“It was a very hard fight. The thing is that everyone was saying ‘Buchecha’ was going to win the fight, but I believed in my training,” Kane said.

“Me and my trainers trained really hard, and we were confident that we were going to beat him. At the end of the day, what you have to understand is that MMA is not jiu-jitsu.”

Buchecha vs. Reug Reug at #ONEFightNight13 was all kinds of MADNESS 🤯#ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/9OfTnUWfKM

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) August 5, 2023

“Reug Reug” wants Anatoly Malykhin, not Amir Aliakbari

Having inserted himself into the World Title picture, “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane believes he’s ready for the big time. But he’s not the only contender in line for heavyweight gold.

Fellow giant Amir Aliakbari recently carved a monumental first-round KO victory onto his record last month against Dustin Joynson, extending his winning run to three fights as well.

But Kane believes he should be next for ONE Heavyweight MMA World Champion Anatoly Malykhin. And with the scale of opponent that the Senegalese beast just overcame, he could very well be in the driver’s seat.

“I’m not really interested in that fight [with Aliakbari]. I want the belt,” Kane said.

“We were supposed to fight, but the fight fell through because someone in his camp supposedly had COVID. But we met at the airport, we looked at each other, and I told him, ‘I’m going to kill you.’ So, maybe that’s what changed his mind.”