Fabricio Andrade says Thanh Le's mind games backfired in Tang Kai rematch: "He was playing a lot"
ONE bantamweight MMA world champion Fabricio Andrade believes Thanh Le paid the price for "playing a lot" against Tang Kai.
In August 2022, Le was dethroned from the ONE featherweight MMA world title due to a unanimous decision loss against Tang. On March 1, the Vietnamese-American had an opportunity to avenge his defeat at ONE 166: Qatar, but the Chinese superstar had other plans and retained his throne with a third-round knockout.
Andrade recently did an interview with Sportskeeda MMA and discussed various topics related to the promotion. When asked about Tang vs. Le 2, 'Wonder Boy' had this to say:
"That was a very technical fight. You know, leading up to the fight, Thanh Le was playing a lot in Tang Kai's head before the fight, saying that he was ready and stuff."
Tang Kai's latest win against Thanh Le extended his promotional record to 8-0, including five wins inside the distance. The 28-year-old has solidified himself as one of the most dangerous fighters in the promotion, which he plans to further prove with another impressive performance later this year.
Watch Tang defeat Le in their rematch below:
What's next for Fabricio Andrade under the ONE Championship banner?
Fabricio Andrade officially became the ONE bantamweight MMA world champion in February 2023 when he faced John Lineker for the second time. Eight months later, Andrade attempted to become a two-sport world champion in a kickboxing match against Jonathan Haggerty, which Haggerty won by second-round knockout.
'Wonder Boy' decided to take some time to recover from lingering injuries and spend time with his family. Although he's only been away for five months, the Brazilian superstar is itching to fight again, as he plans to return in the near future.
Assuming he's returning to defend his throne, Andrade could find himself in a trilogy bout against Lineker. 'Hands of Stone' knocked out bantamweight contenders Kim Jae Wong and Stephen Loman before losing against Shinya Aoki in an openweight bout on an hour's notice.
Watch Fabricio Andrade defeat John Lineker in their rematch below: