Tang Kai proud to erase all doubts after decisive ending to rivaly with Thanh Le: “I’m the real champion”

Tang Kai showed the world last Friday why he’s the undisputed king of the stacked ONE featherweight MMA division.

The Chinese superstar took away Thanh Le’s interim tag in the co-main event of ONE 166 at Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar by way of a decisive third-round stoppage.

In his post-event interview, Tang admitted he entered the rematch with a chip on his shoulder after some pundits questioned his initial win over Le.

Needless to say, the Sunkin International Fight Club athlete silenced his critics once and for all and closed the door on his rivalry with the Vietnamese-American standout:

“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.”

Tang initially dethroned Le at ONE 160 back in 2022 after outclassing him for five rounds.

The outspoken Le was highly critical of the champion’s performance back then, claiming he ran away from him for 25 minutes. Those remarks clearly struck a nerve with Tang, making his $50,000 bonus-winning performance even more satisfying.

The replay of ONE 166 is available free for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

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Breaking down Tang Kai’s nasty finishing sequence over rival Thanh Le

Speed certainly kills, and Tang Kai's footwork and ridiculous blitzing capabilities once again powered him to victory.

After getting a read on Thanh Le’s rhythm in the first two rounds, the 28-year-old struck like lightning when he cornered the interim champ near the circle walls in the third frame.

Tang floored Le with a vicious straight right to the chin and rained down hellfire on his grounded foe for the TKO victory.

Watch Tang Kai’s ONE 166 post-event interview, here: