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Former ONE featherweight and lightweight MMA world champion Martin Nguyen is gearing up for a significant fight next weekend, but his focus extends beyond his upcoming bout to a pivotal clash between champions later this year.
The current ONE featherweight MMA world champion, Tang Kai of China, is poised to unify the ONE Championship gold with interim titleholder Thanh Le of Vietnam and the United States at ONE 166: Qatar. The event is scheduled to broadcast live from the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail on Friday, March 1.
Nguyen, who has his sights set on facing the winner in the near future, is closely monitoring the developments of the upcoming bout. Expressing his prediction, Nguyen believes that Thanh Le holds the edge in the fight.
“I do feel that Thanh Le will edge this one. I feel that Tang Kai will have some ring rust. If not ring rust, he'll fight a bit more timidly, just like the first fight. I feel like Thanh Le won't be as aggressive as he was in the first fight, which got him caught half the time."
He anticipates that Tang Kai may struggle with ring rust or adopt a cautious approach similar to their first encounter. In contrast, he expects Thanh Le to enter the fight with a more refined strategy, potentially avoiding the pitfalls that led to his previous defeat.
Nguyen's analysis suggests that he is leaning towards a future showdown with Thanh Le, whom he views as the likely victor in the upcoming championship clash.
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