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Reigning ONE featherweight MMA world champion Tang Kai is not to be trifled with inside the Circle — just ask his first seven opponents.
After kickstarting his ONE Championship run with six straight wins, four of them coming by way of knockout, Tang earned himself an opportunity to become a ONE world champion, challenging former titleholder Thanh Le at ONE 160 in August 2022.
After five dominant rounds of action, Tang was declared the winner via unanimous decision and etched his name in the history books as the first-ever Chinese-born male MMA world champion.
But before he became king of the featherweight MMA division, Tang Kai introduced himself to ONE fans with a vicious second-round KO against Sung Jon Lee in his promotional debut.
"ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion Tang Kai is a FORCE. Who should the Chinese star defend his throne against first?"
Determined to put a stamp on his rivalry with Thanh Le, the two ran it back at ONE 166 in Qatar, this time with Tang Kai playing the role of the defending world champion. This time around, Tang would waste as little time as possible, finishing Le in the third round with a nasty right hook against the fence.
Tang Kai's next world title challenger is clear
Looking at the featherweight division's top five, there are a slew of fresh fights for Tang Kai to take at the top of the division. However, one particular contender appears to stand out above the rest. That being 'The Lion Killer' Garry Tonon.
As it stands, Tonon is the only fighter in the top five to have won three straight fights, defeating Johnny Nunez, Shamil Gasanov, and former two-division world champion Martin Nguyen. Even more impressive is the fact that Tonon bested all three men via submission, giving him an incredible 89% finish rate.
In fact, the only fighter Tonon has ever lost to inside the Circle is then-world champion Thanh Le.
Is it time that 'The Lion Killer' gets another crack at the ONE featherweight MMA crown?
