Aung La N Sang Draws Parallels With Manny Pacquiao Per Renowned MMA Coach

Aung La N Sang might be an ordinary mixed martial artist in the eyes of many across the globe, but he is extremely revered by over 53.8 million people as a hero in the nation of Myanmar.

The whole country stands still each time Aung La N Sang steps inside the Circle—the proving grounds of ONE Championship.

His superstar status has been published in every mainstream newspaper in Myanmar, and he has been a regular staple on each household's television screen.

On the day of his bout, all walks of life unite in support of Aung La N Sang, which he then compensates with a sweet victory.

The former two-division ONE world champion acknowledged that his countrymen are his source of strength and inspiration to win every match.

"I feel very honored to be able to represent my people. They love the sport. I am very surprised at how much support I get from the people. They are my inspiration every time that I compete," he said.

"Myanmar is my mother. It's the country that made me who I am today. I will try my best to be a positive role model to everyone. There is no greater feeling than performing for all of my people. I am truly honored for this opportunity."

Henri Hooft, the head coach of the world-renowned Kill Cliff FC in Deerfield Beach, Florida where Aung La N Sang trains, is reminded of Manny Pacquiao's heydays as the pound-for-pound king of boxing when he corners "The Burmese Python" in his fights.

"He is like Pacquiao, and in his country, he could be bigger than Pacquiao. People in America have no clue how big Aung La is. When he fights, the whole city closes down. You will always hear people screaming his name," the trainer shared.

ONE Championship will be banking on Aung La N Sang's star power when the promotion holds its first event in the United States at the 1stBank Center in Denver, Colorado on Friday, May 5.

On the historic card, the 37-year-old bruiser is slated to duke it out against China's Fan Rong in a three-round middleweight bout.

Aung La N Sang is riding high on a two-fighting winning streak and has won three of his last four outings.

A victory in impressive fashion could lead him to a shot at the ONE middleweight title, which he lost to Reinier de Ridder in October 2020.

"I want to keep the gate before I storm back into my castle. I want to beat everybody. I want to beat everybody, and I want to get my title back. Being a gatekeeper, people think you're washed up. People think you should hang it up. I want to show that it's not," Aung La N Sang stated.

"Everybody that comes through the door, I want to welcome them, I want to put on a statement, and I want to get everybody out of there until it's time for me to get my title shot back."

Both men were initially scheduled to collide last January, but Fan had to pull out of the contest due to an injury he sustained in training.

Aung La N Sang may have to wait a little longer than expected to get his hands on "King Kong Warrior," but he assured his hunger to overcome the Chinese powerhouse has remained intact.

"I just take it as it is. I mean, I don't need extra motivation. I have motivation in me already. There's a reason why I fight. And it's bigger than Fan Rong. It's bigger than me. I don't need extra motivation. I'm just going to go out there," he remarked.

"I am motivated to put on a good show against him. It's nothing personal, for sure."