Ilya Freymanov says Tang Kai is the rightful champion at featherweight

Rising contender Ilya Freymanov has praised new featherweight world champion Tang Kai.

Kai shook up the division when he defeated former world champion Thanh Le by unanimous decision at ONE 160. Meanwhile, Freymanov recently made a statement at ONE on Prime Video 2 when he impressively beat former two-division titleholder Martin Nguyen via first-round TKO in his promotional debut.

With the win, Freymanov emerged as the new No.3-ranked featherweight, moving him to within touching distance of the champ.

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When asked about Kai being the king of the division, the Russian told ONE:

“I think Tang Kai is the rightful champion. He is the best in the weight class and won the title from Thanh Le, the champion who has achieved a lot in this sport and won by knockout almost every fight... I have been following Thanh Le fights and I like his style, but Tang Kai proved he is better, he needed the win more, and he is young, hungry, and rightfully took the belt, taking it from the more mature champion.”

At 26 years old, Freymanov showed he’s here to win a world title after his ONE debut against Nguyen. If Le gets a rematch against Kai, the Russian could have time to get another win and then fight for the featherweight belt after that.

Ilya Freymanov is confident he can beat Tang Kai for the ONE featherweight world title

Taking out a former two-division champion like Martin Nguyen in the first round has created massive expectations for Ilya Freymanov. Despite Tang Kai’s impressive 7-0 run with ONE, the Russian remains confident about being the best featherweight in the promotion.

When asked about being matched up against Kai in the future, Freymanov had this to say:

“I would be glad to be matched up against him. If it happened, as I said, I would be the champion. I am here to win.”

Ilya Freymanov holds an 11-2 record, with nine wins inside the distance. Although he took out Nguyen early, it’s difficult to tell how much success he will have against other top featherweights.

Nonetheless, four straight finishes have created momentum that will be hard to slow down.

About the author

Jake Foley is a journalist at Sportskeeda, specializing in covering all forms of combat sports, including MMA, Boxing, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai. His passion is ignited by the exceptional fusion of physical and mental skills demanded by world-class fighters in these sports. Jake is captivated by the intricate mix of fierce determination and a modest mindset exhibited by athletes in these disciplines. He also finds the atmosphere of major championships, like the epic clash between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, truly unparalleled.

Jake has earned his UFC credentials to cover the major events for Sportskeeda and has conducted several interviews.

Jake supports various teams across several professional sports, including the Las Vegas Raiders, Inter Miami, Norwich City, Miami Marlins, and Las Vegas Golden Knights. The sports moment Jake will never forget is Jon Jones dismantling Vladimir Matyushenko.

Since joining the SportsKeeda team, Jake has written 400 articles covering several MMA promotions, including the UFC and ONE Championship. He continues to work hard to maintain his journalistic integrity and tell the stories of fighters worldwide.

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Edited by Harvey Leonard

“He is the best in the weight class” - Ilya Freymanov says Tang Kai is the rightful champion at featherweight

Ilya Freymanov is confident he can beat Tang Kai for the ONE featherweight world title