Senegalese heavyweight fighter Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane took special pride in beating erstwhile undefeated Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida in their showdown last week.
The Thiaroye sur Mer native outgunned the Brazilian star in their featured heavyweight mixed martial arts showdown at ONE Fight Night 13 on Prime Video on August 4 in Bangkok, winning by way of a hard-earned unanimous decision.
‘Reug Reug’ steadily dismantled ‘Buchecha’ throughout their three-round, 15-minute clash at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, with telling hits that came from all directions, be it standing up or on the ground.
The Brazilian legend tried to swing the tide in his favor through his extensive jiu-jitsu experience. But while he had his moments, they were not enough to overcome everything that ‘Reug Reug’ threw at him.
Following his victory, a visibly exhausted Oumar Kane said during the post-fight interview inside the ring that the win took on special significance as he proved his doubters wrong.
The 971 MMA/Black Panther Sports affiliate said:
“I’m just thanking God because everybody was saying I wasn’t going to be able to win this fight, and here we go.”
While the win did not come easy, ‘Reug Reug’ was aptly rewarded after with a $50,000 performance bonus from ONE CEO and Chairman Chatri Siyodtong.
The victory also took his current ONE winning streak to three straight, positioning him well for a title shot against reigning world champion Anatoly Malykhin in the future.
‘Buchecha,’ for his part, absorbed his first defeat in five fights to date under the promotion. He has vowed to come back stronger and better moving forward.
Replay of ONE Fight Night 13 is available for free to Prime Video subscribers in North America.