ONE Featherweight King Shares Disheartening Development Regarding Title Defense

ONE Championship's featherweight division is one of the best in the world thanks to the wealth of talent available throughout the Asian region, but there has been a disappointing development when it comes to the title picture.

In a video posted on Twitter, division kingpin Tang Kai announced that he would not be able to defend his title against former titleholder Thanh Le at ONE Fight Night 12 on July 15 after injuring his knee in training.

Tang made waves in August 2022 when he dethroned Le by way of unanimous decision in the co-main event of ONE 160 for the world featherweight title.

The Chinese hard-hitter showcased a different facet of his overall game when he opted to take a more calculated approach that allowed him to break down Le brick by brick for 25 minutes.

Acknowledging the danger that Le could put him through by engaging in an all-out trade with the then-defending champion, Tang intelligently bided his time, patiently looked for openings, and diligently relied on his vast menu of tenacious striking options.

When it was all said and done, the judges awarded the win and the intricately-crafted hardware, making him the first-ever male Chinese athlete to win a mixed martial arts world title in a major organization.

The rematch was expected to produce even more fireworks than their first meeting due to Le's desire to regain the title, while Tang has no plans of relinquishing the title so soon after he won it.

At 37 years old, many would believe that Le is nearing the end of his career that began in 2013, but the fact that he rarely needs more than two rounds to finish his opponents has allowed him to extend his run.

It is worth noting that Tang was the first-ever ONE Championship fighter to ever defeat Le, making the rematch over the featherweight title mean a lot more for the 16-fight veteran.

ONE Championship is yet to make an announcement on whether there will be an interim title fight waiting for Le at ONE Fight Night 12 or if they decide to keep him off the card and preserve him for the rematch against Tang–whenever that may be.