ONE Championship will see a featherweight showdown co-main event at ONE: NextGen II, a previously recorded event, on Friday, November 12.
Tang Kai vs. Yoon Chang Min Preview
China’s Tang Kai will try to keep his promotional record clean against “The Big Heart” Yoon Chang Min, who enters their match with a perfect 100% finishing rate. Hanging in the balance is another step up on the ladder toward contendership.
The South Korean has five wins on the global stage, and only one of those has seen the second round. In his last outing in June, Yoon defeated Ma Ji Wen by first-round submission with a rear-naked choke. It also marked the fourth submission victory of his career.
But while he knocks on the door to the official ONE athlete rankings, Tang Kai is by his side pounding on the entryway as well.
The Chinese athlete is on a seven-bout win streak where he has finished five of those opponents before the final bell. Since joining ONE in 2019, Tang Kai has been perfect.
In March at ONE: Fists Of Fury II, Tang Kai knocked out Ryogo Takahashi in under two minutes. The statement-making knockout forced the rest of the division to take notice of his work inside the Circle. Had he broken through into the rankings right then, it would not have been a shock. However, the waters of the division are incredibly deep with talent.
With everything that is on the line, there will be an onus on each athlete to look spectacular. Add in the element of both men being finishers, and fans should be in for a treat when Tang Kai and “The Big Heart” collide.
As ONE Featherweight World Champion Thanh Le prepares to defend the gold against Garry Tonon, and Kim Jae Woong waits for the winner, this bout could put the victor one more win away from challenging for the ultimate prize.
Who can impose their will on the other? That is the question that will soon be answered from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
While the winner of this contest may or may not end the year with a number by their name, this bout will undoubtedly set them up for a monster 2022. These are contenders, and this co-main event will help shuffle the deck in one of the most exciting classes in mixed martial arts.
ONE: NextGen II airs on Friday, November 12, on Bleacher Report at 8:30 a.m. EST/5:30 a.m. PST.
