ONE Championship: Martin Nguyen promises Thanh Le ‘rematch will be different’ as rebuild begins
- Former featherweight champ looking to get back in the Circle in February after losing title at Inside The Matrix
- ‘I’m going to work on myself … fight a smart fight and not an emotional fight,’ Nguyen says of potential rematch
Martin Nguyen will be ready in February to face Thanh Le or whomever ONE Championship puts across the Circle.
“The Situ-Asian” (13-4) saw a reign of more than three years as ONE featherweight champ snapped when Le (12-2) stopped him in the third round of an explosive contest during Inside The Matrix at Singapore Indoor Stadium on October 30.
Despite the disappointment, Nguyen is putting everything into perspective.
“It took me almost a day to get over the thought and feeling [of losing the title],” the 31-year-old Vietnamese-Australian told SCMP MMA. “I’m not going to take anything away from [Le]. He came to fight and he came to win. That was the main thing. He did what he had to do to get his hand raised.
“For me, I’ve been there. I know what it feels like to win and I know what it feels like to now lose. When the next fight comes, as I said, I will rack up a few wins. The rematch will be different.”
“I’m going to work on myself. Being a smarter and better fighter,” Nguyen said. “Just go in there and do my thing like I have been for the last six years with ONE Championship. Fight a smart fight and not an emotional fight.”
Nguyen confirmed he is looking to book a fight immediately – whether it be the rematch with Le or a title eliminator against one of the top contenders in the division – with no thoughts of entitlement crossing his mind.
“The way I got finished, I have to rack up a few wins realistically,” Nguyen said. “If ONE offers [the rematch], I’d appreciate it. I don’t care.
“I get paid the same to fight either the champion or the next contender. So regardless of who the next person may be, it’s going to be trouble for them.”
Nguyen was handed a 90-day medical suspension after the defeat by Le, but wrote “see you in February” in a recent social media post as he got back to light training during a mandatory quarantine period required to re-enter Australia.
“It’s the rebuild,” he said. “Working my way back up, to get back everything I worked so hard for that was taken away from me.”
