“We need to build a fight city out of New Orleans” - Thanh Le wants to rep hometown for ONE Championship

Thanh Le is looking to defend his ONE Featherweight World Championship at ONE 160, and he wants to bring ONE Championship back home. He will first face a major test in Tang Kai when they fight on August 26.

The Vietnamese-American is a proud Louisiana-born MMA fighter. The knockout machine often discusses Cajun food and cultural influence in interviews. The featherweight king wants to show his home to the world and would love to bring ONE Championship to New Orleans.

In a recent interview, speaking with SCMP MMA, he said:

"Really, really excited about this opportunity! I think the timing is right. I think after a few shows here in the States to build the hype and to get the fans loving how great of a show ONE puts on, that would be a great time. I’m thinking long term. I don’t want a one and done show. We need to build a fight city out of New Orleans."

ONE Championship has been rumored for some time to be looking to do a fight event stateside. The ONE Featherweight World Champion said he would love that and would especially like to host it in his home city.

Louisiana has a host of great MMA talents such as Thanh Le, Daniel Cormier, Dustin Poirier, and Melvin Guillard, among others.

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Thanh Le and Tang Kai both fight to represent home

The ONE 160 co-main event on August 26 will see two knockout kings go to war for the ONE Featherweight World title.

Both men are entering this fight on knockout win streaks and will look to leave with ONE gold. They are also looking to represent their homes, with Le being from Louisiana and Tang from China.

In an interview with ONE, Tang discussed what this fight represents for him. He said:

"I could provide better living conditions for my family. Most important is that I hope to make history and show the power of Chinese fighters to the world.”

The 26-year-old Chinese-born fighter also added how important the support from his family is to his MMA career. Speaking to ONE, he explained:

“My family and friends all supported me because they know that this is what I love. My mother is afraid that I will get hurt, so she doesn’t watch my matches, but she has never stopped me from pursuing my dream. My parents and my coach give me the right guidance. I can always feel their expectations and love for me. I will fight for them.”

Tang will look to take the throne from Thanh Le when the two fight on August 26 at ONE 160. The winner will proudly go home with the prestigious ONE Featherweight World Championship.