"I hope I can prove myself" - Former K-1 world champion Wei Rui fired up to impress in massive ONE Championship debut
Chinese striker Wei Rui is looking to make a big impact on his ONE Championship debut at ONE Fight Night 22.
The former K-1 world champion is hoping to make his mark and represent his country on the biggest stage possible.
For his first fight under the ONE banner, he draws one of the biggest fights out there as he faces former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Hiroki Akimoto.
The two world class competitors will meet at Lumpinee Stadium on May 3 in what the new recruit hopes will be the start of a special run for him at this stage in his career.
In an interview with ONE Championship ahead of his first outing inside the Circle, he spoke about this opportunity that he will try to capitalize on come fight night:
"I think ONE Championship is the most influential and valuable organization in striking around the world. I hope I can prove myself in this international event, and tell the world about China's power"
Wei Rui can shake up the bantamweight division with a win
Debuts simply don't come much bigger than the one that Wei Rui has been assigned for ONE Fight Night 22.
Hiroki Akimoto has been one of the top fighters in this division for a long time and his highly anticipated return was always going to be a big talking point for the bantamweight kickboxing division.
What makes this contest even bigger is that whilst Akimoto could recement his status as a top contender, Wei Rui has the opportunity to take that status for himself by defeating the former champion.
A debut win on May 3 would be the perfect start to life for him in ONE Championship but this fight has far more stakes behind it than any regular debut.
Both men will look to win this fight and push on into title contention in the near future.
ONE Fight Night 22 will air live at US prime time for North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription.