Vietnamese duo dominates Chinese opponents in MMA tag team match

Ha The Anh and Nguyen Thanh Thoan defeated Chinese fighters Zhang Yanlong and Jia Yanqin at LION Championship 24 on Tuesday evening, 12/7.

The much-anticipated tag team match between Vietnam and China headlined LION Championship (LC) 24 at the Tay Ho Indoor Stadium in Hanoi. The event culminated in a decisive victory for the Vietnamese duo, Ha The Anh and Nguyen Thanh Thoan, over their Chinese counterparts, Zhang Yanlong and Jia Yanqin. The 24th event of the LION Championship featured this unique tag team format.

The Anh (born in 2002, 1.83m tall) is the reigning 68kg champion of the Than Vo Viet Nam (GMA) tournament. His background spans various martial arts, including wushu sanshou, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, sambo, and muay Thai. Thoan (born in 2003, 1.7m tall) specializes in muay Thai and kickboxing, having won his first MMA fight against Tran Huy Hai at LC 22 in May.

Yanqin and Yanlong, both having debuted in MMA in 2023, entered the match with three consecutive losses. Yanqin previously lost to Vietnamese fighter Mui Trong Vinh by points at Angel Fighting Championship in 9/2023.

Zhang Yanlong (left in blue) and Jia Yanqin (right in blue) face off against Nguyen Thanh Thoan (left in red) and Ha The Anh (right in red) at the MMA Duo LION Championship 24, held at Tay Ho Indoor Stadium, Hanoi on the evening of 12/7/2025. Photo: LC

The fight was preceded by days of verbal sparring, further fueling the excitement. Tag team matches are uncommon in Chinese MMA, piquing the interest of both Yanlong and Yanqin. Yanlong, in particular, garnered attention with his confident pronouncements. "I don't usually research my opponents, but because of the new format, I watched one of their kickboxing matches," Yanlong stated. "I turned it off almost immediately because they looked so bad compared to me," he added.

Tensions escalated during the weigh-in and face-off on 11/7. Yanqin, wearing a mask, had it ripped off and thrown to the ground by The Anh, leading to a brief scuffle that required intervention. "I came here to teach these youngsters a lesson", Yanqin declared. "They will suffer the consequences for taking my mask and throwing it on the ground," he warned.

The Anh retorted, vowing to have his opponent carried out on a stretcher, while Thoan emphasized national pride. "We can't lose, we're representing Vietnam," the 22-year-old fighter asserted.

Thoan (right) delivers a high right kick to Yanlong's face, knocking him down. Photo: LC

Thoan (right) delivers a high right kick to Yanlong's face, knocking him down. Photo: LC

The match began without a touch of gloves. Yanqin immediately grappled with The Anh against the cage, leaving Yanlong to face Thoan. Despite his larger physique, Yanlong struggled against Thoan’s relentless attacks, although he demonstrated resilience. After 1 minute and 41 seconds, Thoan landed a left hook that sent Yanlong to the canvas. Nearly two minutes later, a right-hand punch dropped Yanlong for the second time. At the 4 minute and 3 second mark, a high right kick from Thoan knocked Yanlong down for the third time, prompting the referee to stop the fight.

With one opponent down, Thoan joined The Anh in subduing Yanqin. Together, they took Yanqin to the ground and unleashed a barrage of ground-and-pound strikes to secure the victory.

The Anh (center) and Yanqin share a laugh after the match. Photo: LC

The Anh (center) and Yanqin share a laugh after the match. Photo: LC

Despite the pre-fight animosity, The Anh and Thoan embraced and shook hands with Yanqin after the match. Yanlong, however, was carried out of the arena and taken to the hospital for evaluation.

The Anh admitted to some initial nerves, but credited Thoan for encouraging him to press forward. Thoan praised Yanlong's toughness. "I was surprised by his stamina. He kept getting up even after taking so many hits. I respect his fighting spirit," Thoan commented.

LION 24 also featured two other Vietnam vs. Cambodia tag team matches. Do Nguyen Minh Quyen and Pham Huy Hoan easily defeated Sry Sran and Khan Tit. Le Van Vu and Vu Minh Nghia took a little over five minutes to overcome Roem Kakada and Sot Seyha.