"I showed my power" - Featherweight MMA king Tang Kai says Thanh Le KO is a stern warning to his future challengers

Tang Kai knocks out Thanh Le | Photo by ONE Championship
Tang Kai knocks out Thanh Le | Photo by ONE Championship

Undisputed ONE featherweight MMA kingpin Tang Kai loves silencing his doubters using the nuclear powers tucked away in his fists.

Despite his immaculate 8-0 record in the world's largest martial arts organization, the Chinese megastar still gets his fair share of detractors.

Nevertheless, the supremely confident Tang made a huge statement at ONE 166: Qatar earlier this month against former interim champ Thanh Le.

In an interview with ONE, the Sunkin International Fight Club and Tiger Muay Thai standout said that win should serve as a stern reminder for those who still question his position at the top of the pecking order of the promotion's unforgiving 155-pound division:

"I showed my power this time to the people who doubted me before."

After blasting every opponent in his wake using his superior striking, Tang employed a more analytical approach against the dangerous Le in their first meeting in 2022.

The 28-year-old chopped down the Vietnamese-American with punishing kicks and methodically stayed outside the line of fire for five rounds.

Despite the win, he was heavily chastised by Thanh Le and his legion of fans. More than a year later, Tang Kai certainly got the last laugh after knocking out Le in their heated do-over.

The replay of ONE 166 is available free for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada


Tang Kai calls out Thanh Le for getting a yellow card in their rematch

While Tang Kai got his poetic revenge, he also made sure to put more salt in the wound of his vanquished foe.

The 155-pound champ recalled how Le accused him of running in their initial encounter. After unifying the division's belts, Tang had this to say:

“He told me [I was] a runner in the first fight, but for the second fight, he’s the runner.”

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