SUMMARY
- Masaaki Noiri has signed for ONE Championship.
- The K-1 Champion becomes the latest Japanese kickboxer to join the promotion after the likes of Takeru Segawa and Hiroki Akimoto.
ONE Championship has attracted another top kickboxing talent, as Japanese superstar Masaaki Noiri has put pen to paper with the promotion. As one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound athletes, the former two-division K-1 World Champion and K-1 Grand Prix Champion has been a mainstay on the elite international kickboxing scene for well over a decade.
While fans are fired up to see him test his skills against ONE’s top-tier strikers, Noiri shared the good news about his signing with ONE on his social media.
“As ONE officially announced, I have signed a contract with ONE Championship, the highest stage for striking. If I want to pursue being the strongest in the world that I believe in, this is a stage I had to challenge,” he said.
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The 30-year-old is also a former WBC Japanese Muay Thai Champion, which provides him plenty of potential opponents in both sports in the 155-pound divisions in ONE Championship. The stacked featherweight kickboxing division will not be an easy task for Noiri, as it includes reigning World Champion Chingiz Allazov, interim titleholder Superbon, and a host of other dangerous contenders.
Masaaki Noiri becomes the latest Japanese kickboxer to join ONE
Masaaki Noiri is joining #2-ranked flyweight kickboxing contender Takeru Segawa and former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Hiroki Akimoto as Japanese striking stars looking to make their marks in ONE.
In the ring, Noiri owns a dynamic and explosive style of striking that deserves to be showcased on a global stage. Proven to be a dangerous finisher, he can score a knockout with his hands or feet.
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“I’ve finally arrived here. This marks the start of the final chapter for me as a martial artist, Masaaki Noiri. I’m nothing but excited to be on a stage filled with formidable fighters. Let’s see how far I can go. Please look forward to it. I’ll be fighting while carrying Japan on my back, so I appreciate your support more than ever!” he said.
Overjoyed to finally compete in the world’s top striking organization, the new ONE athlete will debut soon.