ONE featherweight world champion Thanh Le (Courtesy of ONE Championship)
T
hanh Le has knocked out nearly all of his opponents with ease throughout his 15-fight career, but the ONE featherweight world champion will face his toughest challenge yet when he meets Tang Kai at ONE 160: Ok vs. Lee II on Aug. 26.
The ONE featherweight world champion will be putting his gold on the line for the second time, his confidence at an all-time high after defeating grappling superstar Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon earlier this year to successfully retain the world title.
Le on his feet is a proven threat, which has made him one of the most dominant athletes on the ONE roster. At ONE 160, he’ll be looking to extend his perfect 5-0 slate and cement his position as he faces top-ranked Tang in the co-headlining thriller.
Here, we take a look at the three key strategies in his arsenal that Le will be relying on to score another ONE victory and remain the top dog of the stacked featherweight division.
1. Stand-up & ground games
Le and Tang have made names for themselves in ONE for being expert strikers, both scoring emphatic victories thanks to their heavy hands.
The world champion, however, has another skill that could come in handy in his upcoming bout against Tang. A black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ), Le has shown his grappling prowess multiple times in the Circle, like he did against Yusup Saadulaev at ONE: FOR HONOR.
Le has fire in his fists, as does his opponent. But the reigning divisional king can utilize his BJJ if needed, making him an all-around threat.
2. Quick finish
Le has spent a total of 22 minutes and 46 seconds inside the ONE Circle, a shockingly short time, given that he has fought five bouts.
In his last outing on the global stage, the world champion took out grappling superstar Tonon in just 56 seconds, his fastest finish yet. Before that, he took out both Ryogo Takahashi and Kotetsu Boku in the first round, so he knows how to wrap things up fast.
In contrast, Tang has spent nearly 45 minutes inside the Circle, and his bouts have gone to the judges multiple times. He has scored a couple of first-round wins recently, but if Le can implement the same game plan as he used in his previous matches, the odds are on him snatching an early victory.
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3. Lifelong experience
Le has been practicing combat sports since he was a child, beginning with taekwondo at the age of 8. The Vietnamese-American star has been a martial artist all his life, so fans should expect that experience to shine through if this bout wades into deep waters.
The world champion has also taken out some of the biggest names on the ONE featherweight roster, including former two-division ONE world champion Martin Nguyen and Russian mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran Yusup Saadulaev, so he knows what it's like to face stiff competition.
There may be a 10-year age difference between the two fighters, but Le will undoubtedly use that to his advantage when he squares off with Tang.
Watch ONE 159: De Ridder vs. Bigdash live on NETVERSE, Vidio.com, Kaskus TV, or MAXstream beginning with the lead card at 5:30 p.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB) on Friday, July 22, and the main card broadcasting live at 7:30 p.m. WIB.
NET TV will air a same-day replay at 10:30 p.m. WIB.
This article is published in collaboration with ONE Championship.
