ONE Featherweight World Champion Thanh Le will intently watch the crucial clash between top-ranked contender “The Fighting God” Kim Jae Woong and #4-ranked Tang Kai at ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE this Friday, January 28.
While Le will defend his strap against Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon at ONE: LIGHTS OUT in March, he will maintain interest in this match, given the style of both fighters.
“This is an interesting, interesting fight for the division: two high-level guys, great strikers. I’m interested in watching. You guys need to tune in. It’s going to be fireworks,” Le told ONEFC.com.
“I’ve obviously got my hands full preparing for Garry, and if and when I get past Garry, one of these guys might be next in line, and I’m excited about the challenge.”
But while both men are known for their punching power, the Vietnamese-American noted the differences in their approach.
The South Korean loves to press forward, as shown during his knockout victory over former two-division world champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen. In contrast, the Chinese rely on his movements to frustrate his foes.
Ultimately, the 50/50 and MidCity MMA mainstay expects the fighter who will impose their will to walk out of the Singapore Indoor Stadium with the much-needed win.
“We’ve got Kim Jae Woong, who’s a little sturdier, a little more based. He plods forward, always ready to fire the power shots. [He’s] got a good right hand, obviously – we saw that in his last fight [when he knocked out Martin Nguyen],” Le shared.
“And then we have Tang Kai, who’s got a lot of movement, some glimpses of taekwondo feet in there, which I like a little bit. He picks his moments really well.
“So, it’s going to be a really, really good fight. I think it’s going to be a high-level striking match.”
Le did not give his prediction for the bout, but he vows to be ready should he face either of them in the future.
“You guys are two of the top guys in the division, you’ve beaten some excellent guys, and I’m excited to welcome you in the number one spot,” Le continued.
“If I can put Garry away, I’m ready to put you guys away next, so I’m excited about the challenge. You guys go out there, have fun, and put on a show. These fans deserve it.”
Watch the Kim-Tang clash this Friday, January 28. The lead card of ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE will be available at One Sports+ starting at 6:30 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (PHT), while the main card will be available on ONE Sports and ONE Sports+ starting at 8:30 p.m. PHT.
The entire event is also available via the ONE Super App and ONE’s official YouTube channel.