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One of the most anticipated bouts at ONE Championship: Only the Brave was Kim Jae Woong vs. Tang Kai. However, Kim had to pull out of the fight due to an undisclosed medical issue.
The South Korean fighter was taking a risk by accepting the bout with Tang and not waiting for his featherweight title shot. There have been no reports yet on the extent of his condition. Furthermore, there is doubt regarding whether Kim can still fight the winner of the Thanh Le vs. Garry Tonon featherweight title bout slated for March 11.
Tang Kai was looking forward to the match with Kim Jae Woong after the two had an intense pre-fight interview. It was the Chinese fighter's prime chance to make a huge jump in the rankings and get a step closer to his dream of becoming a champion.
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With no assurance that the fight will push through, Tang Kai took to social media to tell Kim that he (Tang) should be next in line for the title shot:
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"Kim Jae Woong, I hear you're sick. I wish that you have a speedy recovery but the fact is that you can't fight anymore. So, I will take over the title shot. You should just rest."
Tang currently holds a 13-2 professional MMA record and has not been defeated in five bouts in ONE Championship. He is riding an impressive eight-fight win streak overall. The last time the Chinese fighter lost was back in April 2017 at Kunlun Fight MMA 10.
Martin Nguyen may want to step in to fight Tang Kai for the ONE Championship featherweight title shot
Tang Kai may have voiced his intention to take Kim Jae Woong's title shot but Martin Nguyen could come out and fight him for it.
Nguyen is currently ranked No.3 in the ONE Championship featherweight division, a spot above Tang. The former champion last fought in September 2021 when he was knocked out in the first round by Kim Jae Woong. The loss was Nguyen's second in a row and his professional MMA record now sits at 13-5.
With Thanh Le and Garry Tonon's fight more than a month away, Martin Nguyen might be called upon to return to ONE Championship to keep Tang Kai busy.
