Thanh Le

Thanh J. Le
BornThanh James Le
(1985-08-28) August 28, 1985 (age 39)
Owensboro, Kentucky, United States
NationalityAmerican
Height5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight155 lb (70 kg; 11 st 1 lb)
DivisionFeatherweight (2017–2018)
Lightweight (2013–2016, 2019–present)
Reach74.5 in (189 cm)
Fighting out ofMetairie, Louisiana, United States
TeamFifty/50 Striking Program[1]
MidCity MMA
Rank5th Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo
Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu[1]
Years active2013–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total18
Wins14
By knockout12
By submission2
Losses4
By knockout2
By submission1
By decision1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Thanh James Le (born August 28, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist, currently competes in the Featherweight division for the ONE Championship, he is a former interim and lineal ONE Featherweight World Champion. A professional since 2012, Le has competed in Legacy Fighting Alliance. He also appeared on reality television series The Ultimate Fighter: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber.

Background

Le was born on August 28, 1985, in Owensboro, Kentucky, United States. His father migrated from Vietnam and met his mother in Kentucky, before the family moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, when he was 5 years old.[2]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Le made his professional MMA debut in November 2013. Over the next, he fought in his native United States and earned a record of 4 wins against 1 losses with all of his wins coming via stoppages.

The Ultimate Fighter

On August 31, 2015, it was announced that Le would be a contestant on the 22nd season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show, representing Team Faber.[3]

In the opening elimination bout, Le faced fellow American Andrés Quintana. He won the fight via knockout in the first round.[4]

Le represented Team Faber in the first preliminary fight of the season facing Sweden's Martin Svensson. He lost the fight via rear-naked choke submission in the second round.[5]

Legacy Fighting Alliance and Dana White's Contender Series

Le his promotional debut against Alex Black on February 10, 2017, at LFA 3. He won the fight via TKO in the first round.[6]

Le appeared in Dana White's Contender Series 2 on July 18, 2017, against Lazar Stojadinovic. He won the fight via knockout in the second round, he wasn't given a UFC contract.[7]

Le faced Bobby Moffett for the Interim LFA Featherweight Championship on January 19, 2018, at LFA 31. He won the fight via TKO in the second round to earn the title.[8]

Le fought in a unification bout for the LFA Featherweight Championship against Kevin Aguilar on May 25, 2018, at LFA 40. He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.[9]

ONE Championship

Le made his promotional debut against Yusup Saadulaev on May 3, 2019, at ONE: For Honor. He won the bout via knockout in the second round.[10]

Le faced former ONE Lightweight World Champion Kotetsu Boku on August 16, 2019, at ONE: Dreams of Gold.[11] He won the bout via knockout in the first round.[12]

Le faced Ryogo Takahashi on January 10, 2020, at ONE: A New Tomorrow.[13] He won the bout via knockout in the first round.[14]

ONE Featherweight World Champion

Le faced Martin Nguyen for the ONE Featherweight World Championship on October 30, 2020, at ONE: Inside the Matrix.[15] He won the fight via TKO in the third round.[16]

Le was scheduled to defend his title against Garry Tonon on December 5, 2021, at ONE: X.[17] However, on October 28, 2021, the event was postponed to early 2022 due to COVID-19 pandemic.[18] The fight was rescheduled for ONE: Lights Out on March 11, 2022.[19] He won the fight via knockout in the first round.[20] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.[21]

Le faced Tang Kai on August 26, 2022, at ONE 160.[22] He lost the fight and the title via unanimous decision.[23]

The rematch between Le and Tang for the ONE Featherweight World Championship was scheduled on July 15, 2023, at ONE Fight Night 12.[24] However, Tang withdraw from the bout due to knee injury and the bout was cancelled.[25]

Le faced Ilya Freymanov for the interim ONE Featherweight World Championship on October 7, 2023, at ONE Fight Night 15.[26] He won the bout via heel hook in the first round.[27][28] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.[29]

Le faced Tang Kai in a rematch, for the ONE Featherweight World Championship unification bout on March 1, 2024, at ONE 166.[30] He lost the bout via technical knockout in round three.[31]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
18 matches 14 wins 4 losses
By knockout 12 2
By submission 2 1
By decision 0 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 14–4 Tang Kai TKO (punches) ONE 166 March 1, 2024 3 4:48 Lusail, Qatar For the ONE Featherweight Championship (155 lb).
Win 14–3 Ilya Freymanov Submission (heel hook) ONE Fight Night 15 October 7, 2023 1 1:02 Bangkok, Thailand Won the interim ONE Featherweight Championship (155 lb). Performance of the Night.
Loss 13–3 Tang Kai Decision (unanimous) ONE 160 August 26, 2022 5 5:00 Kallang, Singapore Lost the ONE Featherweight Championship (155 lb).
Win 13–2 Garry Tonon KO (punches) ONE: Lights Out March 11, 2022 1 0:56 Kallang, Singapore Defended the ONE Featherweight Championship (155 lb). Performance of the Night.
Win 12–2 Martin Nguyen TKO (punches) ONE: Inside the Matrix October 30, 2020 3 2:19 Kallang, Singapore Won the ONE Featherweight Championship (155 lb).
Win 11–2 Ryogo Takahashi KO (punches) ONE: A New Tomorrow January 10, 2020 1 2:51 Bangkok, Thailand
Win 10–2 Kotetsu Boku KO (punches) ONE: Dreams of Gold August 16, 2019 1 1:28 Bangkok, Thailand
Win 9–2 Yusup Saadulaev KO (knee) ONE: For Honor May 3, 2019 2 0:12 Jakarta, Indonesia Return to Lightweight.
Loss 8–2 Kevin Aguilar KO (punches) LFA 40 May 25, 2018 1 2:44 Dallas, Texas, United States For the LFA Featherweight Championship.
Win 8–1 Bobby Moffett TKO (punches) LFA 31 January 19, 2018 2 0:55 Phoenix, Arizona, United States Won the interim LFA Featherweight Championship.
Win 7–1 Lazar Stojadinovic KO (head kick and punches) Dana White's Contender Series 2 July 18, 2017 2 1:35 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 6–1 Alex Black TKO (body kick and punches) LFA 3 February 10, 2017 1 1:43 Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States Featherweight debut.
Win 5–1 Cody James TKO (punches) Mid City Fight Productions 1 June 24, 2016 1 0:40 Avondale, Louisiana, United States
Win 4–1 Josh Quayhagen TKO (punches) World Fighting Championships 31 November 22, 2014 1 2:49 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
Win 3–1 Shawn Fitzsimmons TKO (elbows) World Fighting Championships 27 September 12, 2014 1 0:27 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
Win 2–1 Matt Vaughn Submission Renaissance MMA 30 June 6, 2014 1 4:36 New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Win 1–1 Justin Martin TKO (punches) XFC: Le vs. Martin April 5, 2014 1 2:44 Ponchatoula, Louisiana, United States
Loss 0–1 Robert Dunn Submission (rear-naked choke) Renaissance MMA 29 November 8, 2013 1 4:58 New Orleans, Louisiana, United States Lightweight debut.
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 1–1 Martin Svensson Submission (rear-naked choke) The Ultimate Fighter: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber August 7, 2015 (airdate) 2 3:48 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States TUF 22 Elimination round.
Win 1–0 Andrés Quintana KO (punch) July 17, 2015 (airdate) 1 2:27 TUF 22 Qualifying round.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Thanh Le". Fifty/50 Martial Arts Academy. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  2. ^ "Why Thanh Le Was Destined To Be An Elite Martial Artist". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. 2019-04-25. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  3. ^ "The Ultimate Fighter 22 cast released, will feature fighters from 11 different countries". mmafighting.com. 2015-08-31. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  4. ^ Jesse Holland (2015-09-09). "TUF 22: 'McGregor vs Faber' results, recap for episode 1 on FOX Sports 1". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  5. ^ Mike Bohn (2015-11-04). "Episode No. 7 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter 22: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber'". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  6. ^ "LFA 3 Results & Highlights: Trevin Giles Remains Undefeated with Main Event Win". MMAWeekly.com. 2017-02-11. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  7. ^ Jed Meshew (2017-07-18). "Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series 2 results: Sean O'Malley earns UFC contract with first-round KO". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  8. ^ Staff (2018-01-21). "LFA 31 Results & Fight Highlights: Thanh Le Takes Punches His Way to Featherweight title". MMAWeekly.com. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  9. ^ Staff (2018-05-26). "LFA 40 highlights: Kevin Aguilar gets a KO worthy of AXS TV Fights' 400th live broadcast". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  10. ^ "Thanh Le Knocks Out Yusup Saadulaev With A Devastating Knee". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. 2019-05-03. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  11. ^ "Nhận định Thanh Lê vs Kotetsu Boku tại ONE Dreams of Gold (18h00, 16/8)". webthethao.vn. 2019-08-01. Retrieved 2022-10-10. (in Vietnamese)
  12. ^ "Thanh Le Knocks Out Kotetsu Boku In 88 Seconds At ONE: DREAMS OF GOLD". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. 2019-08-16. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  13. ^ Nathan McCarter (2020-01-04). "Thanh Le Promises An Entertaining Battle In Bangkok". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  14. ^ Jay Furness (2020-01-10). "Thanh Le Takes Out Ryogo Takahashi With Stunning KO". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  15. ^ Staff (2020-10-06). "'ONE Championship 118: Inside the Matrix' set for Oct. 30, features four title fights". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  16. ^ John Wolcott (2020-10-31). "Thanh Le KOs Martin Nguyen To Claim ONE Featherweight World Title". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  17. ^ Danny Segura (2021-09-15). "Demetrious Johnson returns Dec. 5 for special rules bout vs. muay Thai champ Rodtang Jitmuangnon". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  18. ^ Ernest Leo Hernandez (2021-10-28). "ONE: X postponed to early 2022 says CEO Chatri Sityodtong". sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  19. ^ Dan Kuhl (2022-02-28). "Thanh le and Garry Tonon to be a Clash of Styles at ONE: LIGHTS OUT". Combat Press. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  20. ^ Jay Anderson (2022-03-11). "Thanh Le Makes Short Work of Garry Tonon at ONE: Lights Out, Defends Title". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  21. ^ a b "Chatri Sityodtong Hands Out Five Performance Bonuses At ONE: LIGHTS OUT – ONE Championship Results". ONE Championship – The Home Of Martial Arts. 2022-03-11. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  22. ^ Bear Frazer (2022-06-24). "Thanh Le To Defend ONE Featherweight World Title Against Tang Kai At ONE 160". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  23. ^ Christian Jacinto (2022-08-27). "Surgical Tang Kai Makes History After Masterful Performance Against Thanh Le". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  24. ^ "Tang Kai vs. Thanh Le title rematch set for ONE Fight Night 12". MMA Junkie. 2023-05-17. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  25. ^ "Tang Kai injured, out of ONE Fight Night 12". Asian MMA. 2023-05-23. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  26. ^ Martin, Damon (2023-09-08). "Thanh Le vs. Ilya Freymanov booked for ONE interim featherweight title bout in October". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
  27. ^ "Thanh Le Wins Interim Title With Slick Heel Hook At ONE Fight Night 15". Jitsmagazine. 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  28. ^ Dewar, Val (2023-10-07). "ONE Fight Night 15: Thanh Le Hits Heel Hook on Ilya Freymanov to Claim Interim Title". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  29. ^ a b "Le, Zhang, Musumeci Take Home US$50,000 Performance Bonuses at ONE Fight Night 15". ONE Championship – The Home Of Martial Arts. 2023-10-07. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  30. ^ Richards, Vince (2024-01-02). "ONE 166: Tang Kai, Thanh Le set for featherweight MMA world title unification match in Qatar". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  31. ^ "Tang Kai Unifies Featherweight MMA World Title With Third-Round TKO of Thanh Le at ONE 166: Qatar". ONE Championship – The Home Of Martial Arts. 2024-03-01. Retrieved 2024-03-02.