ONE Heavyweight Champion Oumar "Reug Reug" Kane has suffered a major blow to his upcoming title defense after being involved in a serious car accident in the United Arab Emirates. The accident occurred just weeks before his scheduled rematch with Anatoly Malykhin at ONE 173 on November 16, forcing Kane to withdraw from the fight entirely.

Details surrounding the crash are limited, but ONE officials confirmed that Kane sustained injuries severe enough to make competing impossible. While the exact nature of those injuries has not been shared publicly, the organization stated that the health and recovery of their champion take priority. For Kane, the timing couldn’t be worse — this bout was not only his first title defense, but also a long-awaited continuation of one of ONE’s most heated heavyweight rivalries.

Kane’s rise to champion status was one of MMA’s more surprising heavyweight stories of 2024. Known initially for his incredible physical strength and wrestling-from-laamb background, he shocked the world when he defeated former multi-division champion Anatoly Malykhin by split decision last November in Bangkok. The win handed Malykhin the first loss of his career and set the stage for a highly anticipated immediate rematch.

Instead, the rematch has now been put on hold. Malykhin, who was preparing to reclaim the belt and restore his unbeaten aura, is suddenly left without an opponent. While ONE 173 will continue as planned in Tokyo, Kane’s removal is a major hit to the card, which was heavily promoted around this heavyweight title bout.

Kane’s journey from Senegalese wrestling superstar to MMA world champion has earned him massive fan support across Africa and the global combat sports scene. The accident has created an outpouring of concern from fans who fear this could halt his momentum just as he was establishing himself as a top-tier heavyweight.

Though no timetable has been given for Kane’s return, ONE Championship officials assured that they will announce a new bout for Malykhin once more information becomes available. For now, the focus remains on Kane’s recovery — and whether he will be able to maintain the same championship form once he’s healed.

The heavyweight title picture in ONE is now in limbo, and what was expected to be one of the most anticipated rematches of the year will have to wait. Reug Reug’s path back will depend entirely on how quickly and fully he can recover from the injuries sustained in the crash.