"I'm better than Tang Kai in all levels" - Kim Jae Woong doesn’t think his next opponent is a threat

Kim Jae Woong is scheduled to go up against Tang Kai at ONE: Only The Brave. Before their January 28 clash, ‘The Fighting God’ offered his thoughts on his latest opponent.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Kim Jae Woong acknowledged his opponent’s striking skills, but said he is not worried about his ground game.

“Tang Kai is not good at jiu-jitsu or wrestling from what I observed. I think his only core skill is striking so I’m guessing that’s all he will go for... From a glance, I think he is normally fixated on one thing or sticks to the basics. He’s not really a fighter who has a lot of skills to offer. He’s just a fighter who really has his fundamentals ingrained in him.”

The “basics” are certainly important, but the South Korean fighter believes he can easily adapt to his opponent.

“Looking at it, in some ways that’s scarier I guess, but for me, I know how to use certain skills based on the athlete I’m up against or the situation I am in, and fix up my moves as and when they are needed.”

While Kim believes he is superior to Tang Kai, there are still some things he will look out for:

“I’m better than Tang Kai on all levels, but I saw that he is good with moves on his left side, both arms and legs, so I’m training my defenses against that since my attacking skills are already established.”

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Kim Jae Woong is eager to stay active while waiting for his shot

Kim Jae Woong may have earned the top spot in the featherweight division, but ONE featherweight world champion Thanh Le is still scheduled to defend his title against Garry Tonon. Instead of waiting for his shot, though, Kim didn’t pass on the opportunity to compete.

In an Instagram post at the start of the year, he said he doesn’t want to sit and wait for the a promised world title shot, saying:

“I’m a fighter and a warrior. is what I love to do 🙏🏼 I will go in that circle, enjoy every moment of it and prove to everybody that I’m the best. See you all, thank you!”