Tang Kai Record, stats and next fight

Analysis

Tang Kai is a Chinese mixed martial artist and the reigning ONE Championship featherweight world champion since August 2022. Trained in wrestling and boxing, he built his career on a string of quick finishes before dominating the division for several years.

Background

Born on January 10, 1996, in Shaoyang, in China’s Hunan province, Tang Kai turned professional in 2016 with the Chinese promotion WBK. He strung together fast wins in his early fights before suffering two decision losses in 2016 and 2017, against Bekhruz Zukhurov and then Asikeerbai Jinensibieke at a Kunlun Fight MMA event in Beijing. He bounced back with a series of wins at Rebel FC and YunFeng Showdown, two Chinese promotions, confirming his finishing power. His path mirrors the rise of MMA in China, which has also produced champions such as Zhang Weili and Xiong Jingnan, as well as fighters competing internationally such as Su Mudaerji. Tang Kai then moved to Phuket, Thailand, to train at Tiger Muay Thai and Dragon Warrior Gym, before joining ONE Championship in 2019.

ONE Championship Career

Tang Kai made his ONE Championship debut on January 25, 2019, at ONE: Hero’s Ascent in Pasay, Philippines, knocking out Lee Sung-jong in the second round. He followed with a decision win over Edward Kelly in late 2019, then strung together wins in Singapore over Keanu Subba, Ryogo Takahashi, Yoon Chang-min and Kim Jae-woong, all finishes except the Subba fight. That run earned him a shot at champion Thanh Le’s featherweight title at ONE 160 on August 26, 2022, in Singapore, which he won by decision after five rounds. He went on to compete at ONE Championship alongside recognized Asian athletes such as Kai Asakura, a prominent figure in the promotion. Tang Kai defended his title against Thanh Le in a unification bout at ONE 166 on March 1, 2024, in Lusail, Qatar, winning by TKO in the third round. He suffered his first ONE Championship loss on January 11, 2025, falling by TKO to Akbar Abdullaev in a non-title bout in Bangkok. He returned to action on May 16, 2026, in Bangkok at ONE Fight Night 43, successfully defending his title against Shamil Gasanov with a fourth-round TKO built on a combination of leg kicks and punches.

Fighting Style

Tang Kai combines a wrestling base with a boxing-heavy kickboxing arsenal that lets him control distance and land powerful combinations. His ability to string together punches in flurries has produced most of his knockout and TKO wins, including first-round finishes over Ryogo Takahashi and Yoon Chang-min. He also uses jumping head kicks, which produced two of his most spectacular wins, over Lee Sung-jong and Mark Gregory Valerio. His training in Phuket, Thailand, at clubs specializing in muay thai and MMA, has sharpened his striking versatility while reinforcing his distance and pace management over five rounds.

Record

• Record: 20 wins, 3 losses, 0 draws
• Wins by KO or TKO: 16
• Wins by decision: 4
• Wins by submission: 0
• Title: ONE Championship featherweight world champion since August 2022, two successful defenses

Fact File

• Full name: Tang Kai
• Born: January 10, 1996, in Shaoyang (Hunan, China)
• Nationality: Chinese
• Height: 5’10” (178 cm)
• Reach: 6’0″ (184 cm)
• Weight class: ONE Championship featherweight (155 lb, 70 kg)
• Team: Tiger Muay Thai, Dragon Warrior Gym, Sunkin International Fight Club
• Technical base: wrestling, boxing

Sources

• en.wikipedia.org
• www.onefc.com