August 26, 2022, is destined to be the most unforgettable day in Tang Kai's life.
In the ONE 160 large-scale fighting event that night, the young man from Shaoyang, Hunan defeated the active champion Dan Le, successfully ascended the throne of the featherweight world champion, and became China's first men's mixed martial arts world champion.
After taking over the gold belt from the referee, Tang Kai burst into tears.
Years of hard work and dedication finally paid off, and the emotions that had been accumulated for a long time erupted at the moment of victory. He said, "I will carry the gold belt and go home, and I will do what I say."
The night he got the golden belt, Tang Kai stayed up all night.
From the 18-year-old exposure to mixed martial arts to the present, the past experiences flashed through his mind one by one like acting in a movie.
In an interview with a reporter from Chinanews.com, he talked about the unknown hardships behind winning the gold belt, as well as those unrealized dreams.
The beaten champion
To become a world champion is the goal that Tang Kai set for himself when he was 18 years old.
At that time, he was just a stupefied young man who had watched fighting matches on the Internet.
In order to get ahead, Tang Kai chose to leave his hometown and join a fight club in Zhejiang.
When he first came into contact with mixed martial arts, Tang Kai was beaten almost every day because of his low level.
After being beaten, Tang Kai never complained: "I never wanted to give up. I think being beaten made me progress faster and made me stronger."
After winning, Tang Kai burst into tears.
Photo courtesy of the organizer.
As a fledgling fighter, the income from boxing cannot cover Tang Kai's daily expenses.
In order to support himself, Tang Kai would help set up the ring during some small fighting competitions, and he was busy until the early morning, just to earn a little living allowance.
"At that time, I was thinking, I'm not here to set up the ring, I'm here to fight. I must play the game as soon as possible, no matter who the opponent is, as long as I can get into the ring." Tang Kai recalled.
After a few months of practice, Tang Kai finally walked from the practice ground to the front of the stage and ushered in his first game.
As a rookie, he won a thrilling point victory over his opponent, and thus launched his mixed martial arts career.
In order to get better guidance, Tang Kai came to Shanghai again.
Kung fu pays off. In March of this year, Tang Kai KOed the then world number one Korean player "God of War" Jin Zaixiong. When he reached the world number one, he also gained the right to challenge the world championship.
Tang Kai was at the game.
Photo courtesy of the organizer
In order to prepare for the match against Dan Le, Tang Kai went to Thailand for training.
During the external training, he unfortunately contracted the new crown, and the training was stagnant for a time. "Fever, hoarseness, and later became negative after taking Lotus Qingwen."
Competitive sports are like boating against the current, if you don't advance, you will retreat.
In order to maintain a competitive state, after recovering for a week, Tang Kai once again threw himself into high-intensity training.
After each training session, he loses weight: "One session is two kilograms per sweat."
Tang Kai is in the game, photo courtesy of the organizer.
Let your family live a good life
On the day of the game, Tang Kai's hometown was also very lively.
Relatives and friends at home were all standing in front of the TV, waiting for Tang Kai to appear.
His parents were pacing back and forth outside, afraid to watch their son on the TV.
It was not until I heard the news of Tang Kai's victory that I returned home and set off fireworks to celebrate with everyone.
After winning the game, Tang Kai immediately called his parents: "They don't care if I can win the game, they just hope I don't get hurt."
In the year of the Beijing Olympics, 12-year-old Tang Kai saw the Olympic gymnastics competition on TV, and from this came the idea of learning gymnastics.
After his parents sent him to a sports school, he was turned away because he was too old.
By accident, Tang Kai was spotted by the wrestling coach and began to practice wrestling.
From the day he left home at the age of 18, his parents' worries about him never stopped.
Whenever Tang Kai competes, his parents can't sleep all night.
When they sent Tang Kai to the sports school, they did not expect that their son would engage in such a dangerous and difficult job in the future.
Tang Kai is in the game.
Photo courtesy of the organizer.
At first, he switched from wrestling to mixed martial arts, but Tang Kai's parents were not very supportive and persuaded him to give up.
But Tang Kai thought in his heart: "I must become a world champion, I must persevere, and I can't give up halfway."
Such unhesitating persistence is not only for myself, but also for my family to live a better life.
Tang Kai was born in a rural village in Shaoyang, Hunan. He and his sister have two children at home.
In order to support this family, my parents work from morning to night every day.
"Dad often drives the truck to other provinces to sell fruit, sometimes driving until the early hours of the morning," Tang Kai said with a distressed expression on his parents' face: "I want them to have a better life and reduce their stress. "
When the reporter asked whether the goal of improving the life of his family has been achieved after winning the gold belt this time, Tang Kai smiled: "I can still make them live better."
After winning, Tang Kai raised his gold belt to celebrate.
Photo courtesy of the organizer.
The bonus is reserved for marrying a daughter-in-law
Tang Kai has already figured out how to distribute the prize money for the championship this time. In addition to improving his family's life, he also has to keep a part of it for marrying a daughter-in-law in the future.
Tang Kai and his girlfriend also met through mixed martial arts: "We met during a training session, and she also likes sports very much." After getting along for about two years, the two also have plans to get married. After getting the gold belt this time , Tang Kai plans to take his girlfriend home to meet his parents.
"I want to bring the golden belt back to China as soon as possible." Talking about his future goals, Tang Kai said that he wanted to defend the title a few more times and wanted to keep the golden belt in China as much as possible.
"I also want to set more records, even world records, and also contribute more to the sport. I want to challenge at my level and at other levels. When I retire, I want to make Everyone knows me. When it comes to fighting in the future, everyone will think of my name: China Tang Kai."
Author: Xing Rui