In the just-concluded ONE 166 event, Tang Kai from China defended his title by finishing Thanh Le in the third round. 
This bout is Tang's first title defense, but with Tang retiring due to injury and Le claiming the interim title, it will also be a featherweight MMA World Title unification bout. The two were very cautious at the beginning, and there were no effective movements in the first minute, but from the stand-up position, both of them chose to stand and attack. 
Le then relied heavily on his legs and kept switching fights, while Tang looked for punches. With the final minute of the first round remaining, the referee gave a warning because the duo wasn't positive enough. In the second round, Tang Kai seized an opportunity and hit two hooks to Thanh Le, who also bled from the face. Meanwhile, Le also sought a takedown, but Tang Kai, who came from a wrestling background, didn't give him a chance. Le frequently used knee kicks and high kicks to stop Tang's advance, but he still managed to get punches multiple times. In the third round, Thanh Le, who has a strong foundation in taekwondo, used a lot of straight legs, but this did not give him an advantage, and Tang Kai took few shots, but his effective shooting percentage was high. At this time, the referee again took out a yellow card to warn the two and reminded both sides to attack more actively. 
To be fair, Le is more of a blocking striker, and he's always backing up. And Tang Kai did shoot less, and the audience also booed from time to time, and the dissatisfaction of the referee and the audience was understandable. In the second half of the third round, Tang seized the opportunity to take Le down, and then the referee stopped the bout with a heavy punch. Tang Kai won the unification battle without dispute, and also defended the men's MMA gold belt in China's only world-class event. Although there was an episode of warning for the lack of enthusiasm on both sides, Tang Kai was always looking for a finish. After the game, Tang Kai also said that Thanh Le always said that I always ran in the last game, and he always ran in this game, so the referee should only give him a yellow card. 
Finally, we would also like to congratulate Tang Kai on his successful defense of the title, and Tang Kai also received a $50,000 performance bonus, which also made up for the appearance fee penalty due to the yellow card to some extent. Next, Tang Kai, who has already recovered, will usher in his own era in the Circle, and who else in the featherweight division can shake his status? What kind of matchup will he face up to in the next game? Let's wait and see.