One Championship Adds Kai Tang-Thanh Le 155-Pound Unification Match to ONE 166

At least three of One Championship’s title fights in Qatar will be under MMA rules.

Per the organization on Tuesday, Kai Tang (17-2) and Thanh Le (14-3) will run it back for the unified ONE featherweight (155 pounds) throne. The two will square off on March 1 at the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail, Qatar, as part of the promotion’s first card in the Middle Eastern nation. It will join a pair of championship rematches of Reinier de Ridder vs. Anatoliy Malykhin—this time at 205 pounds—and Jarred Brooks vs. Joshua Pacio at 125 pounds.

Tang has not competed since claiming a victory over Le in August 2022, where he outworked the Louisiana native across five rounds. In the process, Tang pushed Le to the final bell for the first time in the latter’s career. The fighter from China has not tasted defeat since 2017, running a span of 10 victories including seven under the ONE banner. Tang sports a knockout rate of 76% as a pro, while never winning—or losing—a match by submission.

Since Le surrendered his belt to Tang in 2022, the two were scheduled to run it back in July 2023, only for Tang to suffer a knee injury. The company matched Le against Ilya Freymanov on ONE Fight Night 15 in October for the interim strap, and Lee snatched up a heel hook in 62 seconds to claim the title. The former interim Legacy Fighting Alliance featherweight champion celebrates a flawless finish rate of 100%, with 13 of his 14 wins taking place within the first two rounds.

ONE 166 will go down at the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail, Qatar, on March 1. The blockbuster show is expected to feature five championship tilts across multiple disciplines, and three are currently booked. The main attraction will see Ridder look to hold onto his 205-pound crown against heavyweight and 225-pound kingpin Malykhin. The remaining lineup has not been set in stone, but Brooks and Pacio are expected to engage for the second time for the 125-pound belt. The lone other MMA fight on the billing is a heavyweight clash pitting Arjan Singh Bhullar against Amir Aliakbari.