Chinese star Wei Rui says he “just passed this test” in tight decision duel against Hiroki Akimoto at ONE Fight Night 22
Wei Rui wasn't too high with how he fought against Hiroki Akimoto in his ONE Championship debut. The Chinese star made the leap to the global stage this past weekend when he faced the former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion at ONE Fight Night 22 at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
Wei and Akimoto figured in a classic back-and-forth matchup that had the crowd inside the hallowed Bangkok arena singing with every strike thrown.
Both fighters had their moments in the three-round match, but it was Wei who ultimately had his hand raised by way of unanimous decision.
In his post-fight interviews, Wei said he wasn't all that impressed with how he fought against Akimoto.
"First thing, I would give myself a close score in this fight because I think I just passed, I just passed this test," said Wei Rui.
Wei and Akimoto were locked in a highly entertaining duel and both fighters had no problems throwing high-caliber bombs in the first minute of the match.
The former Wu Lin Feng, Glory of Heroes, and K-1 Kickboxing champion was methodical in his approach and continued to find the mark with his body kicks and quick two-punch combinations.
ONE Fight Night 22 is available on free replay to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Wei Rui reveals why he pursued kickboxing as a career
Wei Rui knew he had to fight if he wanted to get a better financial footing.
The Chinese star was one of the best young Sanda artists in China, but he knew that moving to the more lucrative kickboxing landscape was the best way for him to improve his financial well-being.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Wei said kickboxing was his only option for establishing a professional career:
"To be honest, there is no fighter who inspired me to start kickboxing. As I said before, I chose kickboxing because I had no choice. Kickboxing can bring a lot, like income and social influence," said Wei.