Thanh Le seeks to show young fighters how to do MMA career ‘the right way’: “It’s the endless puzzle of martial arts”

Former ONE featherweight MMA world champion and current no.1-ranked featherweight MMA contender Thanh Le of Vietnam and the United States wants to teach the next generation of Asian fighters how to go about their careers the right way.

Speaking in a guest appearance on the FightWave podcast on YouTube, Le talked about setting a good example for the youth.

He said:

“I’m an old man in this sport, and it’s awesome to be able to continue doing things the right way. We approach training the right way, and I think these young guys coming up, especially in that region, are trying to do things the right way and it’s nice to see.”

He added:

“It’s hard to picture a lot of people and a lot of kids jumping into martial arts because they want to hop on yachts and party with girls and stuff like that. [I believe] it’s more of the martial arts code that attracts you to the sport. The hard work day in and day out, it’s the endless puzzle of martial arts. You can express that art in so many different ways. And I think the guys down there are doing such a great job of kinda riding hard on that idea.”

Le isn’t known for trash-talking his opponents before fights. The 38-year-old veteran prefers to keep things professional and show respect for all opposition.

Le continued:

“As much as I try to, hopefully I can contribute a little bit by leading by example, or having these interviews and really putting the focus on the right things, in my opinion. It might not sell as many tickets as talking sh*t and pushing people at weigh-ins, but that’s not really my style. You guys have heard me say this before, and the reasons I do this are for me, myself, my family, my pride, martial arts as a whole, and I think that’s really important. I think that lets you carry your career way further than a lot of people do.”

Le is back in action this week, as he takes on no.3-ranked featherweight MMA contender Ilya Freymanov for the ONE interim featherweight MMA world title. The two meet in the main event of ONE Fight Night 15: Le vs. Freymanov on Prime Video.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free on Amazon.