Thanh Le responds to Tang Kai’s callout after ONE X win

Bengaluru, April 11: ONE Featherweight World Champion Thanh Le validated his title reign when he knocked out Garry "The Lion Killer" Tonon in just 56 seconds at ONE: Lights Out last month.

To complete his first title defense, the Vietnamese-American unleashed a flurry of punches while the challenger went for an ankle lock.

But he might not be out of action for long after receiving an emphatic callout from Tang Kai after his fight against "The Fighting God" Kim Jae Woong at ONE X.

The Chinese competitor countered with a thunderous cross-hook combination when the South Korean lunged with a right hand. The Sunkin International Fight Club representative completed the knockout at the 2:07 mark of the first round after two follow-up strikes.

Tang's victory improved his ONE Championship record to 6-0, and it also earned him a USD 50,000 bonus from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.

The win also made him the #1 featherweight contender. Aside from the result, fans will remember the bout for his callout, where he used an expletive to catch the world champion's attention. Le could've been mad about Tang's statement, but he chose to be cordial.

In a video posted on ONE's Facebook page, he said, "I love the call out. I love the heart. I like the energy. I need you to keep that energy when we see each other in the cage, and we'll see who's going to be standing at the end."

It might not take long before they face each other inside the Circle, and it promises to be a thrilling bout.

Both fighters will put their undefeated ONE records on the line, and they have showcased tremendous punching power. Of the 11 combined fights Le and Tang have in The Home of Martial Arts, nine have been early finishes.

With the world champion and the top contender ready to go, the only thing left unsettled is a date for this megafight.

But before their showdown happens, ONE Championship returns to action with ONE: Eersel vs. Sadikovic on Friday, April 22.

The main card will feature top-ranked strawweight contender Bokang "Little Giant" Masunyane and #2-ranked Jarred "The Monkey God" Brooks in a world title eliminator to face ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua "The Passion" Pacio.

Meanwhile, Jackie Buntan and Smilla "The Hurricane" Sundell will compete for the inaugural ONE Women's Strawweight Muay Thai World Championship.

Finally, the main event will feature ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Champion Regian "The Immortal" Eersel defending his crown against Arian "Game Over" Sadikovic.

Source: Media Release