“I’ve been dreaming for this fight to happen” - Tang Kai aims to retire ‘old’ Thanh Le

Tang Kai plans to retire ONE featherweight champion Thanh Le at ONE 160. The fight was announced last week and is set to headline on August 26 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The Chinese national is on a tear with six consecutive victories and four knockouts since joining ONE Championship. Tang sealed the deal for a world title shot by fiercely knocking out Kim Jae 'The Fighting God' Woong at ONE X in March.

In a a recent ONE 160 virtual press conference, the 26-year-old discussed his upcoming championship bout, saying:

"I've been dreaming for this fight to happen for a very long time. I believe all the fans have been dreaming for this too. And for me, I have a hundred percent confidence for this upcoming fight. My opponent, Mr. Thanh Le, I respect him a lot, but he's also like 35 or 36 years old, and I think he should really be considering retirement. I think this could be his retirement [fight], maybe. He got a beautiful family, he should retire after this one and go back to his beautiful family and have a normal life.”

Tang Kai isn’t the type to dream small and is confident he will be crowned champion. However, Tang will have to go through a very experienced and well-rounded world champion to achieve his goal. The Vietnamese-American will undboutedly be his toughest test yet.

Thanh Le recently scored his fifth knockout victory, recording his first world title defense against one of the greatest jiu-jitsu practitioners of our generation this past March. The 36-year-old defeated Garry Tonon with his vicious ground and pound attack in the very first round.

Although Le is 10 years older than Tang, the ‘old man’ is a difficult puzzle to solve. Fans are excited to see how this plays out.

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Tang Kai’s journey to the world title shot

Tang Kai has flown under the radar for years only to beat the best in the featherweight division.

He made his ONE debut against a very tough competitor in Sung Jong Lee at ONE: Hero’s Ascent in 2019. After he viciously knocked out the Korean with a devastating head kick in the second round, the world knew Tang had something special.

Fast forward to the present day, Tang's name has become more recognizable after his recent scintillating knockout victories.

Tang’s fighting style is extremely dangerous and unique. He’s quick on his feet, powerful, and has dexterity in his movements. The most dangerous techniques to watch out for are his high kicks, jabs, and killer left hooks. It’s always a pleasure to watch Tang work inside the circle.