Tang Kai vs. Akbar Abdullaev Featherweight MMA World Title fight to headline ONE Fight Night 27

ONE Championship’s first U.S. primetime event of 2025 features the highly anticipated return of Tang Kai.  

ONE Fight Night 27 sees the ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion defend his crown against unbeaten challenger Akbar Abdullaev in the main event. The juggernauts meet on Friday, January 10, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.  

Tang has created a phenomenal aura around himself since joining ONE. The 28-year-old has finished five of his eight opponents in stunning fashion. Stars including Kim Jae Woong, Ryogo Takahashi, and Yoon Chang Min have all fallen to the Chinese fighter. 

He capped off his tenure at ONE 160 in August 2022. Tang outclassed former king Thanh Le across five rounds to crown himself the ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion. In doing so, he became China’s first male MMA World Champion. 

This past March at ONE 166: Qatar, Tang asserted himself even further in the rematch with Le, scoring a third-round knockout. This time, though, a younger challenger has emerged.  

Boasting an 11-0 record, Abdullaev has been unstoppable throughout his run. The 27-year-old has knocked out all three of his opponents in ONE Championship – including two former unbeaten stars in Aaron Canarte and Halil Amir. 

Those wins saw him soar up the ladder, leaving no doubts around his capabilities. So when the two prolific finishers collide at ONE Fight Night 27, fans anticipate that one man will fall inside the distance. 

Tang Kai plans to hand Akbar Abdullaev his first defeat at ONE Fight Night 27

ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion Tang Kai isn’t willing to let the crown slip from his grasps any time soon. 

The Chinese superstar asserted himself at the top of the division with a third-round finish of Thanh Le earlier this year.  

Meanwhile, nobody has been able to subdue Akbar Abdullaev. The Kyrgystan star has 10 knockouts in 11 professional outings. And his prowess will certainly test Tang for as long as the bout lasts.  

But should Tang carve a mark into Abdullaev’s unblemished record, he will remain one of the most feared men in ONE’s featherweight division.