“That’s Very Appealing to Me” – Thanh Le Eager to Face the Strengths and Dangers That Ilya Freymanov Poses

Former ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion Thanh Le says fans can expect a quick and explosive fight in his main event showdown against Ilya Freymanov this Friday, live in U.S. primetime at ONE Fight Night 15 on Prime Video.

That’s because Le, with his 100 percent finishing rate, will be taking an equally prolific finisher in Freymanov, who comes into this contest riding five straight stoppage victories.

Thanh Le eager to cross swords with Ilya Freymanov at ONE Fight Night 15

Adding to the excitement, when these two warriors meet at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, they’ll be battling with the ONE Interim Featherweight MMA World Title on the line. Le is pumped to throw down with a fighter who’s just as dangerous as he is. The former titleholder is quick to credit the Russian for his well-rounded skill set and ruthless finishing instincts.

The 38-year-old explained why he’s so happy to face the hard-charging Freymanov: “He’s very good. He’s done some damage in the division, so that’s very appealing to me that he puts a hurting on people. He comes forward. He’s aggressive. He’s very skilled. So it’s really nice to get a name like that.” Given each man’s proclivity for violence – they share 16 first-round stoppage wins between them – the Louisiana native envisions a short night of work on October 6.

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Not only do they both have the reputation as elite knockout artists but Le has also heard Freymanov speak of an early finish. That’s a recipe for an electrifying fight, he says: “I think it’s going to be a relatively quick and difficult fight. And I like that a lot. That’s what it says on paper, and that’s what my brain tells me, and that’s what I think his brain tells him based on some of the interviews I’ve heard.”

Former ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion is counting on his power

Ultimately, Le has a great deal of confidence in his own championship-caliber skills. To that end, he believes that his massive power could be the difference-maker, forcing Freymanov to take his foot off the gas pedal. The former featherweight king added: “If he does happen to make a mistake or two and feel some of the power that I present, I don’t know that he’ll be as aggressive as normal, but I’m very excited to see how that reaction and his pivots and adjustments come into play.”

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ONE Fight Night 15 airs live on Prime Video on Friday, October 6. The action begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and is free for all Prime Video subscribers in the U.S. and Canada.