Thanh Le compares Tang Kai to former adversary Martin Nguyen

Thanh Le’s run in ONE Championship has been nothing short of remarkable. The tenured mixed martial artist stormed into the promotion in 2019 and rattled off three quick wins via knockout to earn his shot at then-ONE featherweight world champion Martin ‘The Situ-Asian’ Nguyen.

With many believing that Le’s streak would come to an end, the Vietnamese-American shocked fans when he knocked out the ONE legend in the third round of their ONE: Inside the Matrix bout to capture the ONE world title. Since then, Le has looked practically unstoppable, but the champion will face arguably his most formidable foe next in Chinese power striker Tang Kai.

Discussing their impending showdown with ONE Championship, Thanh Le suggested that Tang Kai is similar to Martin Nguyen in that they are both incredibly dangerous fighters who execute their differing game plans quite well.

“I’ll be able to tell you [after the fight], but I think they’re both very dangerous. They both have a primary weapon to gameplan for, they both find it really well, and both have great teams behind them. I think Martin’s defense was excellent and carried him through that fight, and I think Tang’s offense will be the best thing he brings on the 26th.”

The two will meet in the co-main event of ONE 160 on Friday with ONE Championship gold on the line. For Le, it’s an opportunity to extend his career and further establish his legacy. For Tang, it’s a chance to become China’s first male MMA world champion.

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Thanh Le believes Tang Kai will try to implement a similar game plan when they clash at ONE 160

Both Thanh Le and Tang Kai have been incredibly successful in the circle for very similar reasons. Le will walk into the world title showdown with five straight wins, all by way of knockout. Meanwhile, Tang boasts six wins that include four via knockout.

Equally dangerous, both fighters have found their own path to success, with Le taking a more measured and evasive approach in his fights, while Tang overwhelms his opponents with pressure and power.

Going into their ONE 160 contest, Le believes that Tang will come into the circle and try to implement a similar game plan to his, staying evasive and looking for the knockout blow. The champion believes that it brings an interesting level of uncertainty that should make for a very exciting scrap.

“I guess I would say he’s a rarity in MMA because he moves his feet really well. He plays defensive games to where, you know, he doesn’t trade a bunch of punches. He does his best to not get hit and to hit, which is a version of my game. I think he plays a little less safe of a game than I do – you know, younger guy. I guess he doesn’t know what he doesn’t know. I think that’s a really good show for the fans. It’s going to pop out with his style versus my style.”