Thanh Le: ‘I’m Chasing Perfection’

Thanh Le challenges Ilya Freymanov in the main event of tonight’s ONE Fight Night 15 on Prime Video

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Thanh Le headlines tonight’s ONE Fight Night 15 on Prime Video against Ilya Freymanov.

The interim ONE featherweight title is on the line, creating an opportunity for Le to attain a new piece of gold.

“I want this for myself,” said Le, 38. “I’m the best version of myself. I know that’s cliché, but it’s true. I’m going to go out and give the best performance humanly possible. I’ll fight my ass off and never quit.”

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The allure of championship gold is tempting for a multitude of reasons. The best in the world are champions, and the pay grade increases. But for Thanh, winning the title is important for a different reason.

“It guarantees my next fight,” said Le (13-3), spoken like a true veteran of the sport. “That’s supposed to happen with Tang Kai. We have unfinished business. He defeated me, and that was first decision as an amateur or pro. It’s aggravating to have that left lingering. I’ll never overlook Ilya. But we’re not past that fight. I need to finish that.”

Thanh should be competing in the UFC. Yet the MMA powerhouse opted not to sign him, despite a dominant showing on the Contender Series in 2017. He knocked out Lazar Stojadinovic–who came highly touted and appeared on the cusp of signing with the UFC until the flawless performance from Le.

“I took my own road to get here,” said Le. What’s meant for me is going to come my way if I work hard and don’t cut corners. When I look at myself in the mirror, I ask myself if I’m moving in the right direction, even on the toughest roads. If it doesn’t go my way, then it wasn’t meant for me.

“There are a couple people in my life–my head coach Shawn Gayton, my brother Vinh Le, Ryan Hall–they’ve helped me not attach success to solely wins and losses. I do this because I love it. I’m a martial artist, and I love fighting. As long as your idea of success is malleable, then you’ll attain it. You can control your attitude and your approach. I’ve dealt with difficulty over these things, but those guys have really helped me understand that I’m doing what I love. I love making every fight an adventure–I’m fighting in Lumpinee Stadium. I love fighting for ONE. I’m focusing on the positive.”

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A taekwondo black belt, Le possesses a significant advantage on his feet. His long-range kicks made him a constant threat, and he needs his footwork to be immaculate.

“I’m chasing perfection,” said Le. “That’s the goal. I’m a big Kobe fan. He would always talk about chasing perfection. His opponents weren’t even able to chase something that was unattainable.”

Le refuses to look past Freymanov, who is an especially aggressive starter. But he believes his reign begins now, a fact he seeks to prove at ONE Fight Night 15.

“It’s time to starch this guy, then move on to the next one,” said Le. “That’s my plan for the night.”

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The Pick ‘Em Section:

UFC Fight Night lightweight bout: Bobby Green vs. Grant Dawson

Pick: Grant Dawson

Bellator 300 lightweight title bout: Usman Makhachev (c) vs. Brent Primus

Pick: Usman Nurmagomedov

Bellator 300 women’s featherweight title bout: Cris Cyborg (c) vs. Cat Zingano

Pick: Cris Cyborg

ONE Fight Night 15 interim featherweight title bout: Thanh Le vs. Ilya Freymanov

Pick: Thanh Le

ONE Fight Night 15 openweight submission grappling bout: Shinya Aoki vs. Mikey Musumeci

Pick: Mikey Musumeci

Last week: 3-2

2023 record: 112-65