“He’s the strongest opponent I’ll face” - Masaaki Noiri admits Sitthichai will be his toughest career test
Though Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong has found himself on a bit of a skid, Japanese kickboxing star Masaaki Noiri knows that the Thai superstar will be his toughest test to date.
After securing two world titles under the K-1 banner and a host of other promotions, Noiri heads to ONE Championship, determined to one day hoist 26 pounds of gold above his shoulder.
But to do that, he'll have to go through one of Thailand's most celebrated athletes — eight-time former world champion Sitthichai.
Though Sitthichai suffered a brutal knockout loss against longtime rival Marat Grigorian in his last outing, Masaaki Noiri refuses to look past the Thai as he heads into their highly anticipated clash at ONE 167 inside the iconic Impact Arena in Bangkok.
“He got knocked out in his last fight against Marat Grigorian, but over the course of his career, he’s still a very strong fighter with more wins," Noiri told the promotion in a recent interview. "For me, he’s the strongest opponent I’ll face”
Will Sitthichai's experience be enough to hand Masaaki Noiri a loss in his ONE debut?
Aside from his success under the K-1 banner, Masaaki Noiri also claimed titles in GLORY Kickboxing and Krush.
The Nagoya, Japan native also proved himself to be more than proficient in two sports, winning the WBC Muaythai Japan super lightweight title.
Overall, Noiri is 49-11 in his combat sports career, with 25 wins by way of knockout.
As for Sitthichai, the 128-win veteran has squared off with some of the biggest strikers in ONE Championship history, including current ONE world champions Tawanchai and Chingiz Allazov, Tayfun Ozcan, Superbon, and Davit Kiria.
Will the experience advantage be enough to spoil Noiri's big ONE Championship premiere?
ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE 167 live and for free via Amazon Prime Video in U.S. primetime on Friday, June 7.