ONE Championship: Chatri eyes China return, says Tang Kai "best Chinese fighter on planet"

ONE Championship chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong hopes to return to China with a numbered event this year on the back of another impressive win for Tang Kai.

The featherweight MMA champion stopped Thanh Le in the third round of their ONE 166 rematch in Doha, Qatar – earning himself a US$50,000 bonus.

The 28-year-old from Shaoyang in Hunan province is now 19-2 in MMA with eight straight victories since debuting in Asia-based martial arts promotion ONE in 2019.

His next challenge will seemingly come from Garry Tonon, with the American the No. 1-ranked contender in the division.

Speaking at the post-event press conference at Lusail Sports Arena, Tang told Sportskeeda:

"I don't care, any opponent. I'm ready, whether it's Garry Tonon or it's mixed rules –- as long as the company puts it in front of me, I'll just do it."

Asked if he would like that fight in China, Tang smiled and said:

"Yeah, I hope. I hope."

Chatri, sitting alongside Tang in the backstage media room, quickly picked up his microphone and chimed in, saying:

"I definitely want to do that. Tang Kai is a superstar. I think he's the best Chinese mixed martial artist on the planet."

The ONE boss highlighted how Tang's last fight with Le, when he claimed the title in August 2022, had trended high on major Chinese social media platforms such as Douyin and Weibo.

Tang Kai receives a US$50,000 bonus after his win at ONE 166 in Doha.

Tang was also congratulated by the Chinese government on CCTV-5 for becoming the first male Chinese world champion in MMA. Chatri added:

"When he came home to China, 10 thosuand fans were cheering for him. For ONE Championship and Tang Kai to trend No. 1 in a country of 1.3 billion people is significant. I haven't checked the numbers again, but I guarantee his fight trended No. 1 again."

Chatri claimed that "big discussions" are happening in "countries around the world" to host ONE Championship events, with China high on the list.

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What's next for Tang Kai in ONE Championship?

Either way, Tang has plenty of options ahead of him when it comes to potential opponents and match-ups.

Aside from Tonon, Tang is yet to face former champion Martin Nguyen, while the former interim title contender Ilya Freimanov also remains a valid threat, with Shamil Gasanov also lurking at No. 4 in the rankings.

Chatri said:

"Tang Kai versus Garry Tonon could be a fun fight. Let's see what happens. The featherweight division is stacked, it's definitely one of the best pound-for-pound divisions in ONE Championship."