Alain Ngalani was expecting to face Vitor Belfort in a striking match. It would have been the biggest fight of the 45 year old’s career but it is on the backburner for the time being.
Instead Ngalani finds himself facing Senegalese wrestler Oumar Kane at ONE: ‘Unbreakable’ Part II. The event will be broadcast this Friday and he admits it is not the fight he has been preparing for,
“This past year has just been about training for Vitor but my training has changed completely. I wasn’t training for MMA at first,” he said.
Different style
Kane has a totally different style and Ngalani admits he has had limited time in which to prepare,
“When they proposed Oumar, I just had a few weeks to brush up on my wrestling and my wrestling defense. We have quickly done that, but as a fighter and athlete, I am always ready and able.”
The Cameroonian admits he had his heart set on a fight with Belfort but after a year on the sidelines Ngalani just wants to compete again,
“I wasn’t about to step into the cage again for anyone else but him, but it’s been too long, and I just feel like getting back in there and getting into the groove again.”
Big men
Ngalani was stopped in the first round by Mauro Cerilli at ONE: ‘Reign of Valor’. Kane is one of the biggest fighters in the division and the 45 year old says that motivates him,
“I have faced people much bigger than him before and, if anything, I love the challenges. It excites me and triggers me even more to face someone who seems to be stronger and bigger than me.”
Ngalani is renowned for his muscular physique. Kane might be able to match him in that department but he feels his flexibility will give him an advantage,
“You can’t just be big without having the advantage of flexibility and being able to use the speed the way you have to. This is MMA, it’s not wrestling so you have to be able to adapt, you have to be able to move, and you have to be really fast in everything you want to do, so speed is important.”
Much better
Kane became a viral sensation after winning his MMA debut. But Ngalani has been on the ONE Championship roster since 2012 and believe he is the superior fighter,
“I think, overall, I am much better. I think I am very strong, I am very flexible, I am very agile and I am very fast,”
This will be the first time in promotional history that two Africans have faced one another and Ngalani says he is familiar with his opponent’s accomplishments from the world of Senegalese wrestling,
“I know that he is a champion in traditional wrestling. I have always liked this wrestling style. It is very popular in Africa, especially in Senegal. Me, personally, I am a fan of that style and that is why I am even more excited to measure myself against him on this stage.”
Having waited over a year to return to the ONE Championship cage Ngalani does not want to waste any time. His fights tend to be fast and furious and he is not expecting this one to go the distance,
“I definitely do not think this fight will go to the end. It will definitely end by finish. I am planning to finish him.”
