Tang Kai Stands on Top of His Division by Unifying One Featherweight MMA World Championship at ONE 166: Qatar

Tang Kai has proven why he is the best featherweight MMA fighter on the planet today.

This past weekend at ONE 166: Qatar, Tang unified the ONE Featherweight MMA World Title by knocking out interim world titleholder Thanh Le in the third round of their match inside the Lusail Sports Arena.

Tang Kai’s first title defense goes just as planned

It was the first time that the Chinese superstar defended his throne after winning it from the same opponent back in ONE 160 in August 2022. Tang’s recent injuries and time away from action may have raised doubts about his ability to retain his coveted belt, especially considering Le’s impressive track record of finishing his opponents in his most recent fight.

The Vietnamese-American has been eager to avenge his loss to Tang for months, but their match could not come to fruition. Instead, he faced a dangerous contender in Ilya Freymanov at ONE Fight Night 15 in October last year to keep the division moving with a battle for the interim belt while Tang recovered from injuries.

There, the 50/50 and MidCity MMA representative showed a different dimension to his attacks by forcing his Russian opponent to tap out. With the win, he earned his rematch with Tang once the champ was ready to battle. They finally got their rematch this past weekend, and Le showed up with more aggression than before. Tang was once again tactical, but he ensured his rival felt his counterpunches.

Towards the end of the third round, the Sunkin International Fight Club representative connected with a huge right hand that dropped his opponent instantly. Sensing blood in the water, Tang jumped onto Le and rained down punches until the referee stepped in to stop the fight. During a post-fight interview, Tang was ecstatic to have a more convincing win this time around and thanked his fans for their support.

“The biggest difference was that I knocked him out. I want to thank my hometown country of China. Thank you for supporting me,” he said. “I felt tremendous pressure in the first fight because I was challenging Thanh Le, but this time, I was the champion. I just came here to prove that I’m the real champion, so I felt no pressure.”

READ MORE: ONE 166: Qatar Press Conference Recap: Fierce Rivals Make Bold Proclamations

ONE MMA featherweight champion claims to be ready to take on any fighter in the division

After conquering arguably the biggest threat to his World Title so far, he was asked if he would like to defend it once more against clear #1-contender Garry Tonon or if he would jump into a mixed-rules bout to face a legend like former Superbon Singha Mawynn.

In response, Tang said he had no preference about who he’d fight next but assured everyone that he would be ready for any challenge put in front of him. “I don’t care. Any opponent. I’m ready. Whether it’s Garry Tonon or a mixed rules fight, whoever ONE brings in front of me, I’m going to do it,” he said.

Who should the undisputed ONE MMA featherweight champion, Tang Kai, defend his title against next? Let us know your picks in the comments section below.

READ MORE: “He’s in Trouble This Time” – Thanh Le Out for Revenge on Tang Kai in Rematch at ONE 166