3 of Thanh Le's best weapons

Reigning ONE featherweight world champion Thanh Le is one of the most exciting fighters on the ONE Championship roster, with none of his 13 career wins going the distance.

The Vietnamese-American has been undefeated since arriving in the promotion in 2019, going to war armed with his best weapons. In 2020, he used these weapons to defeat the king of the division, Martin Nguyen, to claim the highly coveted gold belt.

On Friday, August 26, Le will defend his crown against the fast-rising Tang Kai in the co-main event of ONE 160. Tang, who has 12 knockouts in 14 career wins, is a finishing machine who is without a doubt a dangerous threat to the reign of Le.

In a match that has that distinct blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appeal, here are the three weapons that Le will need to showcase in order to overcome his latest challenge.

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#3. Underrated jiu-jitsu

Fans of ONE Championship have not seen much of Thanh Le’s grappling, since the Vietnamese-American fighter has finished his fights in the circle with his fists.

However, Le is constantly working on his game to become a complete martial artist and does have a variable level of skill on the ground. Earlier this year, he received his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a testament to his commitment to working on his grappling game.

Le received his black belt from multi-time grappling medalist Ryan Hall, who has helped him hone his ground skills. Hall was a key figure in Le’s first world title defense against Garry Tonon in March this year.

While he has proven his skills on the feet, Le may have a lot more tricks under his sleeve. Now that he’s more confident with his grappling skills, the Vietnamese-American could surprise everyone by showcasing it in this next fight.

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#2. Thanh Le's elusive movement

The best fighters know how to hit while not getting hit. That is the essence of pugilism as it is in martial arts. Thanh Le has shown a rare ability to finish matches quickly and not take much damage.

Le’s agility is a difficult puzzle to solve for any opponent. Hard hitters like Martin Nguyen and Ryogo Takahashi certainly had the knockout power to stop him, but they were unable to hit the elusive Le cleanly and consistently enough.

Against another dangerous striker in Tang Kai, Le’s defensive abilities - whether by avoiding strikes or bocking them - will play a key role in his success.

Tang is on an incredible run of three straight first-round finishes, all via punches. His speed and power may not be something that any of Le’s previous opponents have exhibited. However, pairing Le’s agility with his fight IQ and experience will continue to make him a difficult target to hit.

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#1. Sledgehammer right hand

Thanh Le traces his martial arts roots to Taekwondo, which is more known for its kicks than its punches. However, Le has proven that his dynamite fists are extremely dangerous weapons, particularly his right hand.

Four of his five wins in the circle have been caused by his devastating sledgehammer of a right hand. In his latest outing, multi-time BJJ world champion Garry Tonon understood first hand how damaging Le’s punches could be.

In the first round of their match, Tonon attacked Le’s foot looking for a quick submission. However, Thanh Le found a way to free himself just enough to be able to drop hammers on ‘The Lion Killer’ and turn the tables on him, ending the match in just under a minute.

It will definitely be his main weapon of choice when he takes on Tang Kai at ONE 160, as the Chinese star will look to keep the fight on their feet.

But with Tang also locked and loaded, this fight could come down to who connects first.