Martin Nguyen recalls world title loss while watching Tang Kai vs. Thanh Le clash

Tang Kai improved his undefeated run under the ONE Championship banner in the ONE 160 co-main event in August. More importantly, Tang defeated former featherweight world champion, Thanh Le, to capture his first ONE world championship. Tang delivered an elite performance against Le to earn a unanimous decision after a fairly competitive 25-minutes.

Former two-division ONE world champion Martin Nguyen recently spoke to ONE Championship about the fight between Tang and his former opponent, Thanh Le.

“I thought it was a tremendous performance [from Tang]. Some people can say I’m completely wrong, but how I saw it was the exact same fight when I fought Thanh Le. Thanh Le was the Tang Kai, and I was Thanh Le in that recent fight.”

Martin Nguyen previously met Thanh Le with the featherweight world championship on the line at ONE: Inside the Matrix in 2020. On that night, Le defeated Nguyen to capture the featherweight crowd.

“I would come pressuring forward with strikes, and he would evade, set up strikes, set up traps, and tag me along the way. And that’s exactly what Tang Kai did to Thanh Le.”

Watch the knockout below:

Tang Kai eyes potential world title fight with Superbon next

Everyone wants to be a two-division or two-sport world champion these days. Tang Kai is no different. Speaking to ONE Championship following his victory over Thanh Le at ONE 160, the Chinese world champion expressed interest in facing ONE featherweight kickboxing champion Superbon Singha Mawynn.

“I want to fight Superbon next. I saw on his social media that he wants to try MMA. Even if it’s in a mixed-rules bout like [Demetrious Johnson] and Rodtang.”

Undefeated in the Circle, Superbon is currently scheduled to face No. 1 ranked featherweight kickboxing contender Chingiz Allazov at ONE on Prime Video 2 on September 30th. Superbon has defeated a murderers’ row of elite-level talent including Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong, Giorgio Petrosyan, and Marat Grigorian.

At just 26 years old, Tang believes that time is on his side and more wins are most certainly in his future.