Japanese kickboxing star Kana Morimoto joins ONE Championship
Japanese kickboxing superstar Kana Morimoto has put pen to paper on a deal to compete in ONE Championship.
The 32-year-old striker has long been waiting to test her evolving arsenal against the best stand-up warriors in the world, and that is certainly what she can expect, given the amount of talent in the female divisions of the organization.
The promotion revealed the news on their site yesterday.
'Krusher Queen' heads into the world's largest martial arts organization having racked up an impressive with an impressive 22-4 slate during her time fighting on the local circuit.
The Matsuska native turned pro in 2015 after a flying start to her amateur career and has never looked back since. Equipped with a wide array of tools, the Japanese warrior spared no effort in her bid to become one of the fastest-rising stars.
Just a year into her pro career, Morimoto captured the Krush flyweight title in an impressive four-round showing against Momi. She then enjoyed two back-to-back title defenses before losing her crown.
However, just seven months later, the kickboxer was back on her throne where she enjoyed a couple more successful assignments as the divisional queen.
In 2019, the Tokyo-based athlete continued her ascend by inking a deal with K-1. Success followed suit.
Morimoto claimed the K-1 women's flyweight tournament championship and notched three defenses to solidify herself as one of the most lethal strikers from "The Land of The Rising Sun." She was last in action under the K-1 banner in December last year.
Kana Morimoto won't be short of options in ONE Championship
Kana Morimoto should feature in the promotion's atomweight kickboxing division, where Thai striking sensation 'The Queen' Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom currently reigns as the divisional queen.
While she would fancy a crack at Phetjeeja's coveted 26 pounds of gold, the Japanese fighter could also cross paths with multi-time world champion Anissa Meksen — a matchup that both women have had their radar on.
If neither fight materializes, 'Krusher Queen' will have plenty of other willing challengers such as Cristina Morales or Anna Jaroonsak, who'd be more than happy to welcome her on the global stage.