SUMMARY
- Hiroki Akimoto will fight Wei Rui at ONE Fight Night 22.
- Ahead of the Kickboxing bout on May 3, Akimoto had a tough time with visa related issues.
Hiroki Akimoto is fired up to show massive improvements in his long-awaited return to ONE Championship in U.S. primetime on Friday, May 3. Despite some legal troubles, Akimoto is looking to put on a dominant show at ONE Fight Night 22.
Despite losing the belt in his last outing, the former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion believes he can return to the winner’s circle by beating Chinese superstar “Demon Blade” Wei Rui at ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova on Prime Video.
Formerly training full-time at Evolve MMA in Singapore, Akimoto had to return to Japan due to visa issues and settled in at Tokyo’s Power of Dreams gym. Now, the 31-year-old wants to show his development when he competes at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, next week.
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“I couldn’t renew my visa, so I left Singapore and returned to Japan. I started to train at a new gym last December, so that has been a big change. I’m having many realizations in each training session, and I can feel myself growing,” he said.
As a fighter, changes in surroundings can damage the preparation for a fight camp. Despite that, Akimoto welcomes his high-level foe with open arms. Although Wei Rui is riding a 20-fight winning streak and holds both a K-1 and KLF title, Akimoto is not at all intimidated by the experienced “Demon Blade.”
“My opponent is a really good fighter, so I was happy when I got the offer. I knew about him. All the fighters in ONE have won titles, so I’m not really conscious of the fact that he’s a former K-1 World Champion. I just see him as another fighter who has strengths but also areas that can be exploited. So I’ll just prepare as I always do,” he said.
Hiroki Akimoto wants to Dominate “skilled” Wei Rui
Hiroki Akimoto once held the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion and owns a 26-2 professional record, so he won’t be fazed by his difficult opponent.
However, Akimoto understands that he will have to endure a clash of styles with Wei Rui, one of the top pound-for-pound kickboxers with an incredible 69-3 record and a handful of accolades.
“My opponent has good reach. He uses his arms and legs very skillfully, and his footwork is also good. Since my opponent is skilled with both kicks and punches, I think it will be more of a long-range fight. The exchanges at that range should be interesting to watch,” he said.
While Akimoto credits Wei, he has narrowed down his focus to his own game plan, knowing that if “Demon Blade” gets a foothold in the match, it could be disastrous.
“I want to shut him out completely. That’s the main goal. If I let him take control, I’ll lose, so I need to do what I’ve practiced. In the first half of the fight, we’ll likely exchange kicks in an exciting way for the viewers. Then in the second half, I want to take control of the pace and be dominant at both kicking and close range,” Akimoto said.
Given the pair’s overall skills and achievements, expect a fast-paced fight with heavy exchanges.