“I feel so comfortable now” – Thanh Le says Cory Sandhagen, Ryan Hall helped him become a complete martial artist

Thanh Lee humbly admitted that it took a village for him to achieve the improbable heights he reached as a martial artist.

Apart from his trusty loyal brother Vinh, the interim ONE featherweight MMA world champion also credits his ascension to two respected figures in the combat sports scene.

Thanh Le, who splits training time with 50/50 and Midlife City MMA, has sharpened his talons over the years alongside UFC fighters Ryan Hall and Cory Sandhagen.

As such, it’s not surprising that the 38-year-old KO artist has added new layers to his deadly arsenal, given the company he surrounds himself with.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Thanh Le confidently said he’s now a complete martial artist thanks to old reliables who will always have his back.

“We've put so much work into my grappling with help from everybody on the team, but especially Ryan Hall and his team and training at 50/50. All the time bringing in guys like Cory Sandhagen they're gonna help as well, who's, you know, turning into a phenomenal grappler in his own right."

Thanh Le added:

"But no matter where the fight goes, like honestly, whether it's clinch, grappling, striking, I feel so comfortable now as a vet and somebody who's a lifelong martial artist.”

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Thanh Le’s evolution will be on display in high-stakes rematch with Tang Kai

Known primarily for separating people from their consciousness with his vicious strikes, Thanh Le displayed how far he’s come in the grappling aspect in his last fight.

The Vietnamese-American needed less than a round to submit Ilya Freymanov at ONE Fight Night 15 last year.

On Friday, March 1, Thanh Le will look to add another victim to his hit list by settling the score with Tang Kai and unifying the featherweight MMA world titles at ONE 166: Qatar inside Lusail Sports Arena.

“Get your popcorn ready and don’t blink. Next week we add to the 100% finish rate, add a new belt to the wall, and collect an extra 50Gs baaabaaaay,” he wrote on Instagram.

ONE 166: Qatar will air free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada