Tang Kai will compete for the first time since winning the ONE Featherweight MMA World Championship at ONE 166: Qatar on Friday, March 1. Standing across from him will be the man whom he beat for ONE Championship gold, Thanh Le. However, the road to this rematch was different from the traditional route.
After taking the throne, Tang fell out of action with an injury. Unable to defend the title, Le defeated Ilya Freymanov for the interim crown. After working tirelessly to reach the mountaintop, Tang finds himself in the same position. He must prove himself to be the best against the American finishing machine.
The Chinese star has been watching intently from the sidelines. As he recovered from injury and returned to the gym, he studied his American foe. Tang admitted there were many things he could learn from his rival but also that he had some lessons to teach of his own.
“Thanh Le has rich fighting experience, so there are a lot of things I can learn from him. Last time, he had a nice victory, and he proved that he has some hidden fighting skills that he has never shown before. But anyway, I also have a lot, and we will see it in the ring,” Tang told ONE.
Against Freymanov, Le finally got to showcase his ground game. After a quick submission, the New Orleans native was ecstatic to show he was more than just a KO artist. But Tang was not impressed.
“My preparations have always been comprehensive, and of course, I will not change all my strategy because of a heel hook. I don’t think it really matters because the heel hook is not very complex, and anyone can do it,” Tang replied.
The ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion has not been stagnant. He has made changes to his camp to continue his progression as a martial artist. Already having powerful hands, Tang is adding a new dimension to his arsenal by looking to Dagestan.
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“Our new coaching team comes from Dagestan, Russia, and focuses more on simple and practical fighting styles. The seamless transition from striking to the ground is the strength of the Russian style of fighting, and I hope that the fans will be able to see a different me, I mean a fully upgraded version,” the Chinese star stated.
After more than a year away, Tang is not fretting about having ring rust. With a win against Le under his belt already, the Chinese athlete feels no pressure for the rematch. In fact, he believes the judges won’t be needed this time around.
“I won last time, so why would I be stressed? He’s the one who should be stressed. Don’t blink, I’ll KO him very soon,” Tang said.
ONE 166: Qatar airs live on Friday, March 1. The action begins at 7:30 a.m. EST/4:30 a.m. PST. The event is available for free on Prime Video.
