ONE Fight Night 22: Former kickboxing champ Hiroki Akimoto confident he can 'exploit' the holes in Wei Rui's game
Former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Hiroki Akimoto of Japan may be heading into his next fight the slight underdog. Still, the 31-year-old Evolve MMA product is confident he can get the job done and expose his esteemed adversary.
Akimoto is set to lock horns with ONE Championship newcomer 'Demon Blade' Wei Rui of China at ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova on Prime Video.
The event broadcasts live from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free on Friday, May 3rd, U.S. primetime, via an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Akimoto says he isn't at all fazed by his upcoming opponent's reputation. In fact, the Japanese warrior believes he has the tools necessary to 'exploit' Wei Rui and claim victory.
The 31-year-old said:
"I just see him as another fighter who has strengths but also areas that can be exploited, so I'll just prepare as I always do."
Needless to say, Akimoto is motivated and determined to claim the win, and book himself another opportunity at the ONE bantamweight kickboxing world title.
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates on ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova on Prime Video as it happens.
Hiroki Akimoto dismisses Wei Rui's credentials: "All the fighters in ONE have won titles"
'Demon Blade' China's Wei Rui is a former multi-time K-1 kickboxing world champion, but former bantamweight kickboxing king Hiroki Akimoto is hardly impressed.
In fact, Akimoto says all fighters in ONE have achieved levels of success on the world stage, and Wei Rui is just another opponent.
He told ONE Championship:
"All the fighters in ONE have won titles, so I'm not really conscious of the fact that he's a former K-1 world champion."