Thanh Le put his faith in his fists and his footwork, and it paid off in stunning fashion at ONE Championship 118.
Le (12-2) challenged Martin Nguyen for the ONE featherweight title at “ONE Championship 118: Inside the Matrix” at Singapore Indoor Stadium, Singapore, and went toe-to-toe with fellow knockout artist Nguyen (13-4) for three rounds before eventually stunning the Australian champion in the fourth to claim the title.
Le spent the first three rounds presenting a constantly moving target as he worked from the outer reaches of the cage and blitzed in with striking combinations before swiftly moving out of range of Nguyen’s powerful overhand right.
After three frustrating rounds, Nguyen upped the intensity at the start of Round 4 and started to connect with heavy shots to the head and body as the champion appeared to be turning the momentum in his favor. But, just as it seemed Nguyen was getting on top in the striking exchanges, Le struck back.
A perfectly-placed short right hand connected flush to Nguyen’s chin and sent the champion staggering backward. Le saw his moment and closed in as he backed “The Situ-Asian” against the fence before finishing him with strikes to claim a spectacular victory and capture the featherweight title.
Recap the best of the action via fight highlights and official photos below.