ONE Championship 160: Tang Kai ‘so proud’ to be first male MMA champ from China, eyes ‘mixed rules’ fight with Superbon
- Tang makes history with decision win over Thanh Le in ONE 160 co-main event in Singapore
- New champ is targeting a showdown with featherweight kickboxing king Superbon Singha Mawynn
Tang Kai made history at ONE Championship 160, but he will not be resting on his laurels.
The Chinese featherweight was in action in co-headlining attraction on the card, which went down on Friday night in Singapore, challenging Vietnamese-American finisher Thanh Le for the division’s championship.
After five thrilling rounds of action, Tang (14-2) was named the winner by unanimous decision, capturing the belt, and even more significantly, becoming the first male Chinese fighter to win a major MMA title.
“I feel very lucky and I feel honoured,” the new champion, 26, said in his post-fight interview. “Right now I feel so proud of myself and so proud of China.”
Much of Tang’s success in the fight came down to his leg kicks, which he used to reduce Le’s mobility. It looked like a crucial part of his pre-fight game plan, but the new champion claims the decision to pursue the tactic occurred mid-fight.
