ONE featherweight world champion Thanh Le poses with the championship belt inside the Circle after defeating predecessor Martin Nguyen in 2020.
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NE featherweight world champion and mixed martial arts fan Thanh Le will be watching closely at what transpires on Friday during “ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE” at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, especially the fight between top-ranked featherweight contender Kim “The Fighting God” Jae Woong and fourth-ranked Tang Kai.
While the Vietnamese-American will make his first title defense against Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon in March, the winner of the Kim-Tang faceoff will advance their case for a shot at the title.
“I’ve obviously got my hands full preparing for Garry, and if and when I get past Garry, one of these guys might be next in line, and I’m excited for the challenge,” said the 36-year-old world champion.
Given the talents of South Korean competitor Kim and Chinese dynamo Tang, Le expects nothing short of an epic showdown between the two.
“This is an interesting, interesting fight for the division. Two high-level guys, great strikers. I’m interested to watch. You guys need to tune in. It’s going to be fireworks,” Le said.
Aside from preparing for his upcoming fight, Le is also scouting potential opponents and he has nothing but praise for the two top contenders.
While Kim and Tang have a combined 19 knockouts in 25 victories, the world titleholder pointed out the differences in their approach.
“We’ve got Kim Jae Woong who’s a little more sturdy, a little more based. He plods forward, always ready to fire the power shots. [He’s] got a good right hand, obviously. We saw that in his last fight,” Le noted, referring to Kim’s knockout win in the first round against Nguyen in September.
“And then we have Tang Kai, who’s got a lot of movement, some glimpses of taekwondo feet in there, which I like a little bit. He picks his moments really well,” he continued.
Based on the duo’s contrasting styles in setting up their punches, Le sees two possible outcomes of their bout. He expects Kim to take the upper hand as the match drags on, while Tang looks to a quick finish.
“I think if Kim takes [the match], it’s going to be later in the rounds. I think he’s going to work some intercepts and try to go at the same time as Tang.
“And I think if Tang wins, it’s going to be early. I like his in-and-out movement. He picks his moments really well. It’s going to be a hard-fought battle, and I’m really excited to watch,” Le commented.
Despite their different strategies, Le anticipates nothing but an exciting exchange.
“So it’s going to be a really, really good fight. I think it’s going to be a high-level striking match,” he said.
The undefeated ONE Championship world featherweight champ is not out of the woods yet, considering his upcoming battle against elite grappler Tonon. But if Le succeeds in defending his title, he says he will not shy away from either Kim or Tang.
“If I can put Garry away, I’m ready to put you guys away next, so I’m excited for the challenge,” he said, addressing his rivals. “You guys go out there, have fun, and put on a show. These fans deserve it.”
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This article is published in collaboration with ONE Championship.
