“I can counter all his new tricks” – Tang Kai ready to outsmart evolved Thanh Le in Qatar

ONE featherweight MMA world champion Tang Kai believes his time off does not equate to any seconds lost ahead of his return on March 1.

That evening, the Chinese superstar crosses paths with former kingpin and interim titleholder Thanh Le, set for the ONE 166: Qatar co-main event inside the Lusail Sports Arena.

The Sunkin International Fight Club star was forced to sit out of action over the past year after battling with injuries.

But he's been working harder than ever since he's been in the clear, and he's prepared to let it all show in Qatar.

Tang Kai told Sportskeeda MMA:

"I’ve been preparing for this fight for a very long time, and now I’m fully prepared right now. So regardless of what kind of new tricks Thanh Le brings to the table, I’m confident that I can counter all his new tricks."

Watch the full interview here:

While he's had to wait for the chance to return, Le hasn't wasted any time to position himself as the next in line.

Since suffering his sole promotional loss to Kai at ONE 160, the American-Vietnamese sensation claimed the interim crown in just 62 seconds against Ilya Freymanov.

Though many had the Russian as a dark horse, the former featherweight king ended proceedings in dominant fashion with a heel hook.

That victory earned him a ticket to face Tang Kai in a unification clash, and he's all but fired up with ONE 166: Qatar just one day out.

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All the world title bouts at ONE 166 alongside Tang Kai vs Thanh Le

Apart from Tang Kai and Le's eagerly anticipated rematch, two more world titles will be on the line when ONE kicks things off in Qatar.

Strawweight MMA world champion Jarred Brooks defends his strap versus Joshua Pacio, 14 months since their initial encounter, which ‘The Monkey God’ won via unanimous decision at ONE 164.

Meanwhile, Reinier de Ridder and Anatoly Malykhin renew their rivalry middleweight crown in the main event after ‘Sladkiy’ ended proceedings early at ONE on Prime Video 5.

ONE 166: Qatar will be available to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

Fans around the world can tune in on ONE Championship's YouTube channel or at watch.onefc.com.