“I am confident I can win” – ONE debutant Masaaki Noiri says he can outsmart "highly-technical" Superbon
Japanese kickboxing icon and former K-1 world champion Masaaki Noiri is set to make his highly anticipated ONE Championship debut early next month, and he's already chomping at the bits to face the biggest names the promotion has to offer.
Noiri joins a stacked featherweight kickboxing division which includes some of the best fighters in the sport today.
Guys like reigning ONE featherweight kickboxing world champion Chingiz 'Chinga' Allazov, interim king Superbon, and legends like Giorgio Petrosyan and Marat Grigorian toil the featherweight kickboxing ranks in ONE Championship, and now fans can count Noiri among the elite.
However, if there's one man he truly wants to meet in the ring, it is none other than ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world champion Superbon.
Noiri told South China Morning Post in a recent interview:
"Superbon has high-level techniques. I just watched his fight with Marat Grigorian, the most recent one. I'm sure a [potential] fight against him will be a tough fight for me. But I'm kind of preparing for that. I know what I'm going to do if I fight Superbon. I am confident I can win."
Noiri must not make the mistake of overlooking his next opponent, however, as the Japanese star will be taking on one of the most skilled and dangerous competitors in the sport.
Masaaki Noiri set to face third-ranked Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong in ONE Championship debut
Japanese superstar Masaaki Noiri will get a chance to enter the featherweight kickboxing top five in ONE Championship when he faces third-ranked 'Killer Kid' Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong.
The two lock horns at ONE 167: Stamp vs. Zamboanga on Prime Video. The event broadcasts live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free on Friday, June 7, U.S. primetime, on Amazon Prime Video.
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates on the event as it happens.