What's at stake for Thanh Le at ONE 160

ONE featherweight world champion Thanh Le will be defending his crown at ONE 160, but his fight will be for so much more than just the world title.

The Vietnamese-American is set to face Chinese knockout machine Tang Kai in the penultimate bout of the August 26 affair, which will be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The match will only be Le’s second world title defense after claiming the gold from Martin ‘The Situ-Asian’ Nguyen back in October 2020. While he has had a stellar run so far in ONE Championship, he may need to get past his latest adversary to prove that he is not just another fighter on a hot streak.

The 36-year-old also has grand plans for the future, and the first step to making it happen is to maintain his place on top of the featherweight division.

Here are what’s at stake for Thanh Le at ONE 160.

Keeping a perfect ONE Championship run

Through five bouts in ONE Championship, Thanh Le has done nothing but win and stop everyone that has stepped inside the circle with him.

His victims include former world champions Kotetsu Boku and Martin Nguyen, submission specialists Yusup Saadulaev and Garry Tonon, and a heavy-handed Japanese stalwart in Ryogo Takahashi. Among these, only Nguyen (third round) and Saadulaev (second round) have gone beyond the first round with Le - a testament to just how skilled of a finisher the Vietnamese-American star is.

Le is now putting his pristine record on the line against a streaking challenger in Tang Kai, who almost mirrors his fighting style. Like Le, Tang is also undefeated in the promotion, with four of his six bouts ending via knockout.

In a division filled with killers, Le and Tang’s perfect runs are hard to come by. Keeping that streak going will certainly speak volumes about the abilities of the victor and will further elevate his position among the best of the best in the world, pound-for-pound.

Earning his place among the elite

For a fighter with a 13-2 record, including an undefeated run on the grand stage of ONE Championship, it’s unfair to say that Thanh Le has not yet earned his place among the world’s elite.

However, it is only his second world title defense. While he passed his first test with flying colors by knocking out Garry Tonon in under a minute, he needs at least another huge win to prove that he’s as legit a world champion as they come. Moreover, you’re only as good as your last fight, so a loss for Le here would be disastrous.

Putting an end to Tang Kai’s undefeated run in spectacular fashion, however, could help Le cement his status and prove even more just how dangerous he can be in the circle. Beating Tang will give Le back-to-back wins over a fearsome striker and a world-class grappler in his first two world title defenses.

With ONE Championship looking to make its presence felt in North America with its partnership with Amazon Prime Video Sports, the Louisiana-native will want to maintain his position in order to be a bigger part of the promotion’s quest to leave a footprint in his home country.

A chance for Thanh Le to choose his own path

Thanh Le may be in one of the toughest divisions in ONE Championship right now, but that’s not stopping him from looking elsewhere to test his skills.

The mixed-rules fight between Demetrious Johnson and Rodtang Jitmuangnon at ONE X earlier this year clearly left an impression on a lot of fighters, including Le and ONE featherweight kickboxing world champion Superbon Singha Mawynn. The two have shared an interest in sharing the stage together in a mixed-rules fight of their own.

Thanh Le has also expressed his desire to possibly move up to lightweight in a bid to become a two-division world champion. The 50/50 and MidCity MMA product has also been very vocal about wanting to compete in cross-promotional fights, calling out his UFC counterpart, Alexander Volkanovski, for a potential dance.

While his plans are grand, none of them will come to fruition if Le fails to deliver at ONE 160. As such, keeping the world title in his possession is essential for him to dictate the next step of his martial arts journey.