It’s said that behind every successful man, there is a strong woman, and in Thanh Le‘s case, that proverb is a perfect fit. 

His wife, Collying, has been there for the ONE featherweight world champion through thick and thin. She has walked alongside him throughout his martial arts journey, motivated him to discover his best form, and has served as a pillar of strength. 

The Vietnamese-American MMA fighter has enjoyed a remarkable run in ONE thus far, with five finishes in five fights – three of which have come inside the opening stanza.

Should he register another win against Tang Kai in the co-main event of ONE 160 on August 26, the divisional king will once again prove why he is the man to beat in the featherweight ranks. 

Le has enjoyed every single accomplishment he has achieved during his time in the Singapore-based promotion, but he knows none of them could have been possible without the love and support of his wife.

“I feel like no other person would give me that support, stability, and structure that I need to keep me in check, keep me in line, hug me when I’m down, cry with me when I need to, and pick me up when I’m hurting. It’s a for-real love story,” the 35-year-old shared. 

The pair first met while the ONE Championship star was previously working at an electronics store, where Le helped Collying upgrade her phone. 

From that brief encounter, the two sparked a close friendship. Several years later, Le hired his future wife as an employee at the store, and they continued developing their friendship before taking it to the next level.

To Le, relationships are all about both parties playing their role to make it successful. 

And given that he grew up in a household where his mother and father constantly supported one another, he didn’t mind sacrificing a couple of things to see Collying evolve into a successful career woman.

“I grew up in a family where my dad worked long, long days at a construction plant and taught martial arts at night, and they did the same thing before I was born,” he said. “My dad was having trouble getting a steady job, and my mom worked two jobs waiting tables and anything to get by and pay the bills.

“She supported him through times where he needed help, and they built their relationship that way and a partnership that way. That’s an important piece and an example for me.

“Mine is a similar story, where when you need help, you have that counterpart in the world that is meant to be with you and support you through that time and vice versa.”

Le supported his wife as she went to nursing school, and a couple of years later, Collying relocated to Virginia with him so that he could focus on his martial arts career.

Times were hard. But still, Le was motivated to sacrifice whatever he could so that each of them could achieve their respective goals.

“We didn’t have a ton of income at the time, so we took turns taking care of each other and making sure we could accomplish our goals,” Le recalled. “She packed up her life and packed up everything she had, and we moved up there together.”

The sacrifices have paid off tremendously – Le is now the ONE featherweight world champion, and his wife gave birth to their child, Mina Kay Le, on March 29, 2021.

Their relationship has been filled with plenty of sacrifice, joy, tears, and most importantly, love, and Le hopes to make his wife proud when he defends his gold against Tang.