Japan Vs. The World: Why ONE 172 Is A Historic Combat Sports Event For The Country
The world’s largest martial arts organization will soon return to the “Land of the Rising Sun” for one of the biggest pay-per-view fight cards in years.
This Sunday, March 23, the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Japan will host ONE 172: Rodtang vs. Takeru, and the ultra-stacked event features top Japanese talents taking on foreign fighters in all but two of the matchups.
These proud Japanese athletes will aim to make their country proud and put on electrifying performances at this blockbuster show – at a legendary venue, no less.
For his part, main event megastar Takeru “Natural Born Krusher” Segawa knows that ONE 172 will serve as a monumental showcase for his country’s martial arts prowess, saying, “It’s become a ‘Japan versus the world scenario.'”
Before the action gets underway this weekend, we dive into every fight that features one of the country’s exciting competitors.
The Super-Fight Main Event
In the main event, Takeru will square off with former long-reigning ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon in a five-round flyweight kickboxing super-fight for the ages.
Long regarded among the planet’s top pound-for-pound kickboxers, “Natural Born Krusher” was originally slated to battle the Thai superstar in his promotional debut last March, but when Rodtang was forced to withdraw due to injury, Takeru took on late-notice replacement Superlek Kiatmoo9.
While he would drop a hard-fought decision, Takeru’s courageous and entertaining performance kept his star power at an all-time high.
The 33-year-old has since bounced back with a sensational knockout of Myanmar upstart Thant Zin and now hopes to keep that momentum rolling into the kickboxing clash the world has been waiting for.
As a former three-division K-1 Champion beloved by legions of fans around the globe, Takeru knows that ONE 172 will be his chance to solidify his legacy as an all-time great – and elevate Japanese kickboxing to greater heights.
The World Title Fights
Before Takeru and Rodtang throw down, three Japanese standouts will battle for 26 pounds of gold.
First, fan favorite Kana “Krusher Queen” Morimoto will look to hand Thai phenom “The Queen” Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom her first loss in ONE when she challenges for the ONE Women’s Atomweight Kickboxing World Title.
Phetjeeja has enjoyed an incredible reign of terror in ONE so far, but Kana, with her devastating one-touch power and years of elite experience, could be the woman to dethrone “The Queen.”
Next, Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu will seek revenge when he takes on Brazil’s Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes for the vacant ONE Flyweight MMA World Title.
The Japanese fighter suffered a submission loss to Moraes when they first met in 2022. However, “Little Piranha” said he’s learned from that crushing defeat and will enter this bout riding an impressive three-fight winning streak.
After nearly seven years and 12 fights in ONE, Wakamatsu could be poised to pick up a career-defining victory in front of a partisan Japanese crowd.
Finally, former two-division K-1 Champion Masaaki Noiri is determined to back up the massive hype when he squares off with current ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai for the ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Title.
Despite kicking off his ONE tenure with a tough start against top-flight competition, Noiri has found his groove, most recently scoring a brutal leg-kick knockout at ONE 170.
He’ll likely lean on that dynamic kicking game – along with the roaring Japanese faithful – when he tries to hand Tawanchai his first defeat since 2021.
The Global Debuts
ONE 172 will also see a number of Japan’s most decorated strikers make their much-anticipated debuts on the biggest stage.
In 132-pound kickboxing action, 23-year-old knockout artist Ryusei Kumagai hopes to meet the lofty expectations surrounding him when he goes toe-to-toe with Thai standout Suriyanlek Por Yenying.
Ryusei has tasted defeat just a single time in his career and has all the raw physical tools and ruthless finishing instincts needed to become a mainstay in ONE.
Next, undefeated 22-year-old Hyu Iwata will face Moroccan brawler Zakaria El Jamari in an explosive flyweight kickboxing bout. Hyu has scored a pair of memorable victories at the ONE Friday Fights event series and will now look to keep rolling in this high-profile fight against a battle-tested veteran.
Japanese phenom Shimon Yoshinari shined in his promotional debut last December at ONE Friday Fights 92, picking up a highlight-reel stoppage over Thailand’s Rittidet Sor Sommai.
The 20-year-old hopes to make it two knockouts in a row against Thailand’s best when he squares off with decorated star Yodlekpet Or Atchariya in a flyweight Muay Thai tilt that has fireworks written all over it.
At just 24 years old, Nadaka Yoshinari has firmly cemented himself as Japan’s top Muay Thai fighter, and at ONE 172, he’ll begin his quest for ONE Championship glory when he battles Thai rising star Rak Erawan in an atomweight Muay Thai contest.
Nadaka’s trophy case is already brimming with gold, as he boasts countless prestigious titles outside of ONE, including both Lumpinee and Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Titles – a feat that only one other foreign fighter has ever accomplished.
Finally, the ultra-accomplished Kaito Ono could catapult himself directly into the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Title picture if he can get past Armenian legend Marat Grigorian.
Kaito already owns several wins over established ONE stars, removing any doubt that he belongs among the best of the best in ONE. A victory over a former ONE World Title challenger in Grigorian, though, would turn him into an overnight global superstar.
The Legend Returns
Former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki will face off with fellow former titleholder Eduard “Landslide” Folayang in a lightweight MMA clash between two of the sport’s most respected veterans.
Renowned for his venomous submission game and beloved by millions of Japanese fans, Aoki is a true martial arts icon – and he’s never once tasted defeat at Saitama Super Arena.
This will be the fourth fight between “Tobikan Judan” and “Landslide,” with the Japanese hero owning a 2-1 advantage in the rivalry.
Simply put, Aoki competing in Japan, at such a famous stadium, is a sight that no combat sports fan should miss.
The Epic Crossover Matchup
In bantamweight kickboxing action, former divisional kingpin Hiroki Akimoto will take on MMA’s hardest pound-for-pound puncher in John “Hands of Stone” Lineker.
After beginning his ONE tenure with an incredible 6-1 record that saw him claim the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title, Akimoto now finds himself on a two-fight skid. The 32-year-old is surely hungry to bounce back and prove that he remains a torchbearer for Japanese kickboxing.
Lineker will pose a serious and intriguing challenge. The Brazilian has spent the past year taking the striking world by storm, going 2-1 in a trio of thrilling Muay Thai bouts.
Given Lineker’s all-action, brawling style of striking and Akimoto’s granite chin and endless gas tank, fans should buckle up for a barnburner.
