“I was waiting for this fight such a long time. For me, I’m honored to fight the former champ Aung La,” Leandro Ataides told media outlets ahead of this Friday’s ONE Championship: Battleground.
In what he believes could be a number one contender’s fight, Ataides (11-4) goes up against Aung La N Sang, the promotion’s former double-champ (middleweight and light heavyweight), not to mention one of its biggest stars.
“He’s a great fighter, he’s the former two-division champion,” Ataides said of his opponent. “It’s so exciting. I have to do my job, and show to everyone what I have to do.”
Ataides has moved to the Netherlands, and has been training with the champion at middleweight and light heavyweight, Reinier de Ridder. Which puts him in an interesting spot, should he pick up the win. That said, the Brazilian is not looking past Friday’s co-main event.
Instead, he’s focused on surprising “The Burmese Python.”
“This is MMA, in MMA, everything can happen. I always like to train the things that [aren’t] part of my game. For example, I [have] a BJJ background. But I like striking a lot. That’s why, I can surprise him,” said Ataides. “Because I like to try something I don’t know — not that I don’t know, but that’s not my background. I’m working a lot on my wrestling too, my boxing, my kickboxing, so I can surprise him.”
As for the advice de Ridder gave Leandro Ataides ahead of the fight, it was simple. “Take him down and submit him, like I did. That’s his words.”
Watch the full media day press appearance from Leandro Ataides above. ONE Championship: Battleground takes place Friday, July 30 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore.
