Oumar Kane made things look easy at ONE on TNT 1 this past Wednesday. Opening up the card in Kallang, Singapore, the heavyweight known “Reug Reug” steamrolled short-notice opponent Patrick Schmid, who replaced Mehdi Barghi and was making his pro MMA debut in the process.
Following the bout, Kane (3-0) explained that he had “prepared for the fight in Dubai,” bringing his team with him. “People came from Senegal, and we prepared everything in Dubai,” he said, thanking coaches and training partners for making the trip while speaking via translator at a virtual post-fight press conference.
Then, Barghi fell out due to a positive COVID-19 test, revealed Kane. “I accepted to fight with anyone I have in front of me. I’m ready to fight, I’m here for that.”
As to his performance on Wednesday, it was hard from an outsider perspective to find flaws. Still, the heavyweight, now 3-0 as a professional, feels he could have done more. “We can do something better than what we have done today. We can do better,” he insisted. “I have prepared the fight greater than what we have seen.”
Asked whether ONE heavyweight champ Brandon Vera could be next, Kane replied that “I don’t care about the person in front of me. I accept any fighter. I have no problem with the fighter, I can meet anyone you put in front of me. I don’t care about the athlete in front of me.”
Vera has Indo-Canadian Arjan Bhullar up next, but it feels like a title shot for Oumar Kane isn’t far off.
Watch the full ONE on TNT 1 virtual post-fight press scrum with Oumar Kane, a.k.a. “Reug Reug,” above.
