Heavyweight King Reveals What Surprised Him Most About Meeting IShowSpeed

Reigning ONE Heavyweight MMA World Champion Oumar Kane reflected on meeting YouTube star and internet sensation IShowSpeed during the streamer’s Africa tour in January.

The Senegalese national hero hosted the famous content creator in Dakar, teaching him traditional Senegalese wrestling moves that made Kane a household name in his home country.

The 33-year-old heavyweight champion discussed watching IShowSpeed’s videos while expressing surprise at the streamer’s muscular physique. Kane revealed that the social media personality picked up wrestling techniques quickly but explained the sport requires extended training to truly master.

IShowSpeed boasts over 50 million social media followers, and he is among the world’s most recognized streamers and online personalities. The 21-year-old’s visit to Senegal provided an opportunity to learn from Oumar Kane, the 260-pound champion, who dethroned former three-division king Anatoly Malykhin in November 2024.

Heavyweight Champ Oumar Kane Praises Streamer’s Appeal to Young Audiences

Discussing his familiarity with the internet personality, Oumar Kane explained his appreciation for IShowSpeed’s comedic content. The Senegalese fighter highlighted the streamer’s appeal to younger demographics.

“I watch his videos. He’s a very funny guy. The new generation likes this type of content. He’s very young – he’s 21 years old. Everybody likes him, you know what I mean?” Oumar Kane stated.

Oumar Kane, who follows a massive daily diet, began wrestling at age 16 before transitioning to MMA. His 8-1 record with five finishes is capped by his stunning split-decision victory over Malykhin that shocked the combat sports world.

‘Reug Reug’ Surprised by IShowSpeed’s Muscular Build

Revealing his first impression when meeting IShowSpeed in person, Oumar Kane expressed genuine surprise at the content creator’s physical development. The heavyweight champ suggested the 21-year-old possesses the build of an MMA middleweight competitor.

“I was actually very surprised when I first met him, because I didn’t expect him to be so big. You can’t tell from videos how muscular he actually is. If Speed was an MMA fighter, he would be a middleweight. He’s a big man,” Kane explained.

The Senegalese champion’s willingness to share his wrestling knowledge with a global internet personality shows his role as cultural ambassador. Traditional Senegalese wrestling made Kane famous in his home country before his MMA success brought international recognition.

Senegalese Hero Says Wrestling Requires Extensive Training

Kane was impressed by the streamer’s natural ability, but he tempered expectations about mastery timeframes. The heavyweight explained that truly learning Senegalese wrestling requires months of dedicated training.

“Yes, Speed was very fast, and he picked things up quickly. But Senegalese wrestling is different. It’s not something you can learn quickly. But maybe with six or seven months of training, he can really learn it. He’s a fast learner. He picked up the crash course quite quickly, to be fair,” Kane said.

Oumar Kane was scheduled to defend his crown in a rematch against Malykhin at ONE 173 last November. A serious car accident resulted in the postponement of their highly anticipated heavyweight title clash. A new date for the bout has yet to be announced.