ONE Featherweight World Champion Thanh Le does not doubt the upcoming clash between top-ranked contender “The Fighting God” Kim Jae Woong and no. 4-ranked Tang Kai at ONE: Only the Brave will be explosive.
That’s why he’ll be watching their showdown this Friday at the Singapore Indoor Stadium with the mindset of possibly meeting two men down the line.
“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 said.
“I’ve obviously got my hands full preparing for Garry, and if and when I get past him, one of these guys might be next in line, and I’m excited about the challenge.”
Le – who will take on Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon at ONE: Lights Out this March – noted that they are devastating strikers with differences in their approach.
The Vietnamese-American expects Kim to come forward and maintain the pressure. Meanwhile, Tang has slick movements that can frustrate the Korean.
That said, though, Le sees Kim winning if the match drags on to the final round. Anything earlier than that will fall in Tang’s favor.
“I think if Kim takes it, it’s going to be later in the rounds. I think he’s going to work some intercepts and try to go at the same time as Tang,” Le shared.
“And I think if Tang wins, it’s going to be early. I like his in-and-out movement. He picks his moments really well. It’s going to be a hard-fought battle, and I’m really excited to watch.”
While he didn’t predict who would win, he’ll be ready for either competitor should he face them down the line.
“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,” he said.
Watch the Kim-Tang clash on 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.
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