"I was eager to win" — Undisputed featherweight king Tang Kai says victory was the only thing that mattered against Thanh Le
Tang Kai was confident that he would put on a show in his comeback fight, and that zeal and focus worked wonders for the divisional king in his rematch against Thanh Le at ONE 166: Qatar on March 1.
The ONE featherweight MMA world champion successfully unified the 26-pound gold on the promotion's on-ground debut inside Qatar's Lusail Sports Arena with a third-round TKO.
Due to being sidelined by injury for the entirety of last year, the Sunkin International Fight Club representative says winning was the only thing that mattered for his legacy and the legion of fans in his hometown.
In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Tang Kai offered:
"It's the first time in my career that I didn't fight for a long time, so I was eager to win. And, of course, I feel really good about winning."
Indeed, nothing beats tasting success, especially if it comes on the grandest stage of the fight game today.
Tang Kai eager to add another two fights inside the ONE Circle this year
Tang Kai's triumph over Le upped his promotional slate to 8-0, with five victories ending in highlight-reel fashion.
And while he will cherish the victory until his next test, the first Chinese MMA world champion hopes it won't take too long before he secures another fight this year.
In the same interview with the South China Morning Post, Tang Kai concluded:
"I felt really good in this fight, and I hope I can have one or two more fights this year."
After all, there are a couple of interesting propositions that have surfaced as of late, with the clear option being a world title defense against No.2-ranked Garry Tonon. However, the divisional king remains confident that he'll have the ability to finish the American grappling specialist.
North American fans with an active subscription can relive the entire ONE 166: Qatar card via the free replay function on Amazon Prime Video.