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ONE featherweight MMA world champion Tang Kai is undoubtedly one of the nastiest strikers on the planet right now. Now imagine just how unstoppable he’ll be if he learns the feared Dagestani style of pressure wrestling...
That scary thought might soon become a reality after the Chinese star revealed his new set of coaches for his featherweight MMA world title unification bout with his old adversary Thanh Le.
Two of the hardest-hitting 155-pound fighters in the world will run it back this Friday in the co-main event of ONE 166: Qatar at Lusail Sports Arena.
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By the looks of it, Tang Kai will bring in a new and improved grappling arsenal, in a bid to go 2-0 against the interim champ.
The 27-year-old told ONE:
“Our new coaching team comes from Dagestan, Russia, and focuses more on simple and practical fighting styles. The seamless transition from striking to the ground is the strength of the Russian style of fighting, and I hope that the fans will be able to see a different me, I mean a fully upgraded version.”
It’s no secret that Dagestani fighters have taken over the MMA scene in recent years. Let’s see if Tang Kai will surprise us by taking this fight to the ground this coming Friday.
Tang Kai believes he progressed more than Thanh Le since their first encounter
Over a year since their epic war at ONE 160, both Tang Kai and Thanh Le have certainly retooled behind closed doors.
While the Chinese champion has been on the sidelines since due to injury, it doesn’t mean he has slacked off during his time off.
As far as Tang Kai is concerned, the one who improved more will get his hand raised at ONE 166. The Sunkin International Fight Club stud added:
“I believe that both of us have improved because no one will stay where they are, but it's all about who's making more and faster progress. Let’s see in the fight.”
ONE 166: Qatar will air live on March 1 free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada
