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Tang Kai never fails to produce magic every time he fights inside the circle, and this should be the case once more when he headlines ONE Fight Night 27 on Jan. 10.
The ONE featherweight MMA world champion locks horns against the No. 5-ranked Akbar Abdullaev. His 26 pounds of gold will be up for grabs inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
In his last outing at ONE 166: Qatar in March last year, the Sunkin International Fight Club athlete — China's first male MMA world champion — finished interim titleholder Thanh Le in their unification tie.
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After gauging what his foe brought to the table, Tang slammed his foot through the gas pedal in round three, and an explosive right hook and a plethora of hammerfists earned him his first world title defense at the 4:48 mark.
Though it'll be hard for him to better that display, Tang Kai remains optimistic that he will pack the goods against the Kyrgyzstani athlete come fight night.
Speaking to ONE Championship, the 28-year-old offered:
"I hope my next fight will be even more exciting."
While he may be a man of few words, the Chinese megastar always prefers to let his performances do the talking.
He has racked up a pristine 8-0 resume alongside five ferocious knockouts under the ONE banner to catapult himself into one of the biggest MMA names on the roster.
The Hunan native hopes to maintain that momentum when ONE Fight Night 27 gets underway this Friday.
Tang Kai unimpressed by Akbar Abdullaev's unbeaten record
Akbar Abdullaev may have accumulated an 11-0 slate — three finishes in ONE Championship — on his way to a golden opportunity at Tang Kai's 26 pounds of gold. The defending king, however, isn't one bit impressed by the challenger's stellar resume.
The Chinese athlete, in the same interview, suggested that Abdullaev has not fought against anyone of his caliber:
"It is a good record, but just look at all his opponents - none of them impressed me."
ONE Fight Night 27 will be available to active Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
