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Thanh Le has laid out a plan for what’s next in his ONE Championship career.
Le hit a road bump in his career after losing the featherweight belt to Tang Kai in August. The 37-year-old is already aiming for a rematch against Tang to reclaim the throne, which has not been confirmed. Before losing at ONE 160, the former champion also had plans to move up to lightweight.
During an interview with FTS MMA, Le talked about his plans to reclaim the ONE featherweight world title before gunning for a belt in a second division:
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“So we’re gonna go back, get that belt back [against Tang Kai].. And then we can start taking a look at lightweight just like before. Christian [Lee] got his belt back, congrats to him. That's still a matchup that is on the brain. And he's somebody we're always game-planning for. He's such a great fighter, experienced, did a great job, got his belt back, and maybe we'll follow in his footsteps, get our belt back, and then we'll meet somewhere.”
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The rematch between Le and Tang would be intriguing if ONE Championship decides to book it. That said, the former champion must make adjustments to ensure he doesn’t lose another unanimous decision.
He may also need to face other ranked opponents before earning another crack at the throne, which he is more than willing to do.
Watch Thanh Le's interview with FTS MMA below:
Thanh Le details adjustments needed to win Tang Kai rematch
Before preparing for a possible fight against Christian Lee, Thanh Le must stay focused on Tang Kai, assuming ONE Championship books the rematch.
During the same interview, Le opened up about Tang’s style throwing him off, and the adjustments he must make ahead of a second meeting in the circle:
“He hardly took a step forward, so it did throw a little monkey wrench in the situation it created but obviously, next time we go with him, we stay away from his dangerous weapons, which are going to be the same ones… And we want to make sure our entries, our approaches, and the way we close distance won't allow him to do what he does best.”
Nobody has been able to beat Tang through seven ONE Championship fights. If Le can make the adjustments and come out victorious, regaining the featherweight world title would further solidify his legacy, and perhaps set up a must-see matchup against Lee.
