- 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane is set to defend his ONE Heavyweight MMA World title for the first time at ONE 173: Superbon vs Noiri
- The Senegalese will take on the same man he dethroned, Anatoly Malykhin, at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, on November 16, 2025
- In the run-up to the blockbuster bout, Kane recalled how his friendship with Muay Thai legend Rodtang Jitmuangnon developed
It felt natural for reigning ONE Heavyweight MMA World Champion “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane to gravitate towards Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon.
After fighting in a lot of the same events, and with each man notching monumental victories at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug last year, the Senegalese wrestling sensation and the Thai megastar formed a tight bond, forged through the similar hardships they endured in their lives before reaching the mountaintop.
The pair of larger-than-life personas each had to overcome poverty and obscurity growing up in their respective small villages, and “Reug Reug” feels he and Rodtang share a synergy. Now that their lives have completely changed for the better after becoming ONE World Champions, the heavyweight behemoth feels closer to the flyweight striker.
“Reug Reug” recalled how his friendship with the former ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion developed:
“Rodtang and I were on many of the same cards, and we both come from the same background, growing up with nothing. We grew up in poverty, and we both dedicated our lives to sports and living for our family.”
“So it’s like, I provide everything for my mom the same way Rodtang does. And I think our stories are quite similar, just in different countries. We both come from adversity to become champions, and we both won milestone fights when we were on the same cards together.”
Kane is set to defend his ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title for the first time at ONE 173: Superbon vs Noiri on November 16. He’ll take on the same man he dethroned, Anatoly “Sladkiy” Malykhin, in a blockbuster rematch at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
“Reug Reug” and Rodtang refused to fold despite the cards they were dealt, biting down with stubborn resiliency while showcasing the generational talent that has led them to becoming globally recognized names in martial arts.
As the Senegalese warrior prepares for his gargantuan showdown with the ONE Light Heavyweight and Middleweight MMA World Champion, he wishes to head to battle alongside his trusted comrade Rodtang once again.
“Hopefully, we’ll be fighting together on the Japan card as well.”
The last time Rodtang Jitmuangnon fought in Japan, he registered an early “Knockout Of The Year” performance after his blistering 80-second destruction of Takeru “Natural Born Krusher” Segawa at ONE 172 this past March.
Even “Reug Reug” admitted he was mesmerized by “The Iron Man’s jaw-dropping finish, which is a testament to Rodtang’s status as one of the best pound-for-pound strikers on the planet.
The ONE Heavyweight MMA World Champion was all praise for the Thai warrior:
“No, actually, we were talking about it before the fight, and we were expecting a five-round war. But it just shows you how good he is. He’s just on another planet to everybody else.”
Similarly, Kane also shocked the world last year when he handed Malykhin his first career loss and took home the coveted gold. The 33-year-old made history as the promotion’s first African-born MMA World Champion.
He now reigns supreme above all heavyweights in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
According to “Reug Reug,” his burning desire to always give fans a memorable show is another trait he shares with the electrifying Rodtang.
“So you never see a Rodtang fight and be bored, and it’s quite similar, you know, you never watch a ‘Reug Reug’ fight and be bored. The guy is like on the attack all time, or inviting the attack onto him. It’s unbelievable to watch.”
“From the moment that he starts, you can’t not enjoy it. When we were warming up for my last fight, we were sitting around and just watching a show. He fought our good friend Jacob. It was still a great fight, you know. I mean, he’s just so entertaining. Every single minute of the fight is entertaining.”