“I Want to Go to His Gym and Fight Him…” – Alexander Volkanovski Receives a Challenge From Thanh Le After Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan Reference

Thanh Le has a message for the Australian UFC champion, Alexander Volkanovski. The ONE featherweight world champion has been nothing but dominant inside ONE Circle. And while he will fight Tang Kai at ONE 160, he is ready to test his martial arts skills against American promotion’s featherweight king. What did Le say about the crossover?

The 50/50 BJJ athlete has never dropped a contest in ONE Championship. Moreover, he has never gone to the judges’ scorecard. Thus, his confidence coming into the August 26 bout and facing another MMA world champion, is off the rails.

Thanh Le said, “I don’t think he [Alexander Volkanovski] matches up super-well against me.”

The ONE featherweight champion praised the promotion for bringing its shows to the region in prime time with the Prime Video deal. He said, “We’re moving to the States as far as marketing goes… ONE is finally getting this buzz from the US media outlets… We’re going to get all this buzz; we’re going to be in talks with the Bellators, PFLs, UFCs.”

Some fighters from different companies with a lack of skills and more eyeballs because of the promotions didn’t impress Le. He said, “It’s not “fair” because of the skill level that we have over at ONE. So, it’s awesome to be able to bring that to light and show it to the US fans.”

Thanh Le wants to test himself against Alexander Volkanovski

The former DWCS series fighter came to ONE and showcased how much he has grown as a fighter. Talking about the crossover bout with Alexander Volkanovski, he said, “I want to go to his gym and fight him, not because I don’t like him, but because I want to test myself against the best in the world.”

Read More – Thanh Le, Who Knocked Out Garry Tonon, Warns Tang Kai of His Grappling Skills–“Maybe We Get a Little Grappling in…”

The champion gave examples of NBA legends like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan to depict he draws inspiration from sports icons, not limited to MMA.

“You look at… Kobe and I’m like man, he was a world champion in his thing and I would hope that I have a couple of traits that mirror some of the things that he does. You know you look at Jordan.”

“This man is a UFC champion. He’s beaten a rack of legends in sports,” Le praised his featherweight counterpart but said, “I’m a little more well-versed in the long game, the kicking game, the footwork, the grappling, so, you know, I like the way we match things up,” offered the undefeated ONE athlete.

The crossover fights are extremely rare in MMA, chiefly when dealing with the UFC. But if ONE CEO and Chairman, Chatri Sityodtong, and UFC President, Dana White, could meet terms for one fight, this featherweight combination would top the chart.

Read More – ONE Championship Is on Prime Video! Eddie Alvarez and Angela Lee Have Incredible Stories About It