Thanh Le Knocks Out Kotetsu Boku In 88 Seconds At ONE: DREAMS OF GOLD

Vietnamese-American martial artist Thanh Le punches Kotetsu Boku

Thanh Le took another big step towards a future ONE Featherweight World Title shot on Friday, 16 August.

The Vietnamese-American needed just 88 seconds to knock out former ONE Lightweight World Champion Kotetsu “No Face” Boku at ONE: DREAMS OF GOLD in Bangkok, Thailand.

This marks his second consecutive knockout victory in the past three and a half months.

Thanh Le knocks out former ONE Lightweight World Champion Kotetsu Boku in the very first round!

???? IT’S GOODNIGHT, IRENE ????Thanh Le MMA knocks out former ONE Lightweight World Champion Kotetsu Boku in the very first round!????: Check local listings for global broadcast details????: Watch on the ONE Super App ???? http://bit.ly/ONESuperApp

Posted by ONE Championship on Friday, August 16, 2019

As soon as the opening bell rang to begin the featherweight mixed martial arts contest, both athletes stormed out of their respective corners and exchanged a few leg kicks.

However, when Boku attempted to put Le on the back foot, he was forced to taste his rival’s immense power.

The 33-year-old unleashed a few punches and a high kick, but the Japanese veteran continued to move forward in an effort to close the distance.

Vietnamese-American martial arts star Thanh Le lands a body kick on Kotetsu Boku

Just as “No Face” leaped in with a right cross, the Vietnamese-American landed a heavy kick to the ribs.

Le then missed with a follow-up left hand, but he connected with a right hook that dropped Boku to the canvas. He chased him to the mat and fired a final punch, which prompted referee Olivier Coste to stop the bout.

“I feel wonderful. Thank you, guys. Bangkok, I love you guys,” he told Mitch Chilson following his victory. “This place is awesome. Thank you for having us, it’s been wonderful. Thank you Kotetsu, you’re a very experienced contender.” 

Vietnamese-American martial artist Than Le beats Japanese veteran Kotetsu Boku

This highlight-reel victory pushed Le’s professional mixed martial arts record to 10-2.

It also helped him maintain his flawless 100 percent finishing rate and moved him closer to the World Title match he desires.

With his 34th birthday just around the corner, the script could not have been written more perfectly for Le. 

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