Tang Kai Fires Back At Kim Jae Woong: I’ll Show Him A Real KO Artist
Tang Kai thinks “The Fighting God” Kim Jae Woong has made a big mistake by overlooking him ahead of their featherweight mixed martial arts clash at ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE.
The #4-ranked contender was not impressed when #1-ranked Kim described their co-main event fight as a “warmup” before he challenges for the World Title later this year.
With that in mind, Tang is vowing to make the South Korean pay when they meet on Friday, 28 January, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
“If you think our fight is a warmup, you should be careful because I’m sure you’ll lose inside the Circle,” the Chinese star says.
“I will make him regret saying those words that underestimate me. You laugh now, but I will make you cry, and I will let the world know [of] my existence.”
Both men will enter the Circle with impeccable records, and each has proven their striking prowess on the global stage.
Tang is 5-0 in ONE with three knockouts, while “The Fighting God” is 3-1 in the organization with three KOs of his own.
Those impressive resumes speak for themselves, yet Kim isn’t giving the Sunkin International Fight Club representative much credit. He’s even stoked their war of words by suggesting Tang’s stand-up game is basic.
In response, the Chinese athlete plans to prove his opponent wrong with a display of skill and versatility when they go toe-to-toe.
“My style is different to his. I’m good at looking for opportunities in the fight because I think my speed is faster than his, and my power and technique are more mature than his,” Tang says.
“In fact, my style is changeable. I will change my style according to the different opponents in each fight. Whether it’s striking or on the ground, I have a way to defeat him.”
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“The Fighting God” has downplayed Tang’s ability to knock out opponents, but the 26-year-old Qingdao native believes the South Korean is overrating his own finishing skills.
He has no worry in his mind about Kim’s stopping power – and he plans to leave his confident foe with a harsh lesson on fight night.
“I don’t think Kim Jae Woong is a KO artist. He only has the entry-level of KO [skills],” Tang says.
“I’m very excited to play this game with him because it will be very intense and wonderful. I will teach him how to become a real KO artist.”
The Chinese star is especially confident about making good on that promise after his first-round knockout of Kim’s compatriot “The Big Heart” Yoon Chang Min at ONE: NEXTGEN II in November.
“Kim Jae Woong is the third South Korean I met in my career. The first two have been knocked out by me, and they were no less than Kim Jae Woong,” he says.
“I said I’d KO Yoon Chang Min. I did it. I want to say to fans, and everyone around the world, that I do what I say. When I say I will win by knockout, it must be a knockout. Never be vague, and don’t say empty words.”
Tang will enter this matchup with Kim at an all-time high. He’s riding a lengthy winning streak over increasingly tough opposition, and he burst into the official rankings following his knockout of Yoon.
An emphatic victory over the #1 contender would be another huge boost for the world-class striker, and it would bring him closer to his mission of becoming the ONE Featherweight World Champion.
Moreover, it would be all the proof he needs that Kim should never have looked past him.
“I have only one goal from beginning to end – that is the World Championship belt,” Tang adds.
“I have won eight consecutive matches. My KO rate and my performances are equally wonderful, so I think I deserve to challenge the champion.
“I will KO Kim Jae Woong as soon as possible and take away his World Championship challenge.”
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