Thanh Le has crazy idea for mixed-rules MMA-submission grappling superfight: “Against who? I don’t know”

Thanh Le’s seen it before, and he now wants to be the one to step into the action.

The former ONE featherweight MMA world champion was just one of the millions who tuned in to watch MMA legend Demetrious Johnson take on ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a ground-breaking mixed-rules bout at ONE X.

Johnson, who eventually captured the ONE flyweight MMA world title in August 2022, secured a second-round submission win over Rodtang in their March 2022 encounter.

Le was hooked on the stipulation, and he too wanted a share of the fun. Unlike Rodtang and Johnson’s match though which alternated between Muay Thai and MMA, Le wants to have his under MMA and submission grappling.

Jumping on Reddit before ONE Fight Night 15, Le answered some of the fans’ queries on the ultra-popular community website ahead of his bout with Ilya Freymanov for the ONE interim featherweight MMA world title.

One fan asked Le what superfight he’d like to have at ONE Championship and the Vietnamese-American star wrote:

“I really enjoyed watching Mighty Mouse/Rodtang special rules bout at ONE X. I want to be the first thing to do a similar kind of mixed rules bout, but with MMA/grappling tied into it. Something that does no-gi, and then no-gi with punches - some kind of twist that would be really cool I think. Against who??? I don’t know… y’all gotta help me figure that one out.”

Le is one of the most notorious strikers in ONE Championship, with all five wins coming via knockout. Although he’s more inclined to use his fists, Le is an underrated grappler with a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

The former featherweight king won’t have any problems finding an opponent for his dream match, and he might even face old challenger Garry Tonon in such a stipulation.

Whoever Le takes on, it’s certainly a match that could become an absolute show-stealer at any card it’s part of.

ONE Fight Night 15 goes down this Friday, US primetime, at the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.