Tang Kai and Thanh Le went toe-to-toe for five rounds the first time they met, but both men wanted a more decisive end for their rematch. At ONE 166: Qatar, they got their chance in a ONE Featherweight MMA World Title unification rematch. In the end, it would be Tang who scored a third-round TKO finish to leave no doubt as to who the top dog was in the division.
The Chinese star pressured Le throughout the action. The feints and power led to the finish. Tang bluntly told ONE Championship that was the plan all along.
“I must thank my team and coaches because they helped me make tactics to finish the match. I felt really good to win a match by knockout that I’ve been waiting for over a year to have. I showed my power this time to the people who doubted me before,” Tang told ONE.
Now that the unification is behind him, Tang is focused on the list of contenders trying to knock him off the top of the mountain. The first man on the list may be Garry Tonon. The American grappling ace most recently submitted Martin Nguyen to appear as the next man in line for a shot at the gold.
“He’s very good at jiu-jitsu, but his striking skill is weaker. I’m always ready to fight with any style, any person. [His grappling] won’t affect me. I’m going to KO him,” the ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion remarked.
But Nguyen himself is on the Chinese star’s list of potential opponents. After the recent losses, Tang admits he must pick up a couple of victories before challenging for the gold. The firefight that would ensue is still enticing to Tang.
“I really want to fight Martin Nguyen because he was the first two-division ONE World Champion. Although he’s been losing recently, I want him to win a couple of fights and challenge me, and I think it’s going to be a really good and impressive fight,” the Chinese star said.
One of the more surprising names on the list is Superbon Singha Mawynn. The talented Thai striker has lit up the kickboxing world, and he will also go after the ONE Interim Kickboxing World Title at ONE Friday Fights 58 against Marat Grigorian. After that match, he has mentioned trying his hand at MMA.
If MMA does come up as a possibility, Tang is willing to welcome him to the new world. However, he plans to put him to sleep if he does. The ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion does not believe he should make the move so willingly.
“I think Superbon is a bit arrogant because he says he can fight in MMA with a bit of practice. I’d have to let him know what MMA is, and I’ll let him sleep on the ground,” Tang said.
