'Reug Reug' open to Francis Ngannou fight after making good on his promise to bring belt back to Dubai


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New MMA ONE heavyweight champion Oumar Kane said he is "ready for everyone" including Francis Ngannou after making good on his promise to bring the championship belt back to Dubai.

Better known as "Reug Reug", the Senegalese beat the previously unbeaten Russian Anatoly Malykhin at ONE 169 in Bangkok earlier this month, taking a split decision after five grueling rounds.

Reug Reug, 32, resides in Dubai and trains at the TRIPL3 MMA gym in Jumeirah Lake Towers.

He said in an interview with The National before the Malykhin bout he felt "confident" of beating the Russian and "bringing the belt to Senegal and Dubai."

Thousands of fans greeted his arrival in Senegal to parade his belt, setting off flares and fireworks and blocking off roads to celebrate.

Speaking to The National in Dubai, he said: "I have worked hard for this moment and visualised it to happen. It was a proud moment for myself, the team, Dubai, and Senegal." When asked about his future and a potential match-up with PFL heavyweight Ngannou, Reug Reug said: "Anything is possible, as long as we have the same will.

"I’m ready to fight anyone. It also depends on the contenders in the division and who ONE offers me. But I’m ready for everyone and the belt stays with me."

Ngannou made a successful return to mixed martial arts when he downed the giant Renan Ferreira in a heavyweight clash dubbed ‘The Battle of the Giants’ in Riyadh in October.

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Family reunited

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.

She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.

She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.

The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.

She was held in her native country a year later.

Updated: November 20, 2024, 8:45 AM