WATCH: Hiroki Akimoto does his best 'Cobra Kai' impression by sweeping the leg
Japanese standout Hiroki Akimoto is hyping up the fans this week after a throwback clip of one of his 'Cobra Kai'-like leg sweeps went viral on Instagram.
The former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion is set to make his return at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Thailand on Sept. 27 at ONE Friday Fights 81, to propel his career back into the world title picture.
This week, we remember the kind of excitement Akimoto brings inside the kickboxing ring, starting with a dominant performance against Australia's Josh Tonna at ONE: Hero's Ascent.
ONE Championship captioned his effortless foot sweep against Tonon with the caption:
"Hiroki Akimoto is ready to sweep the premises. Who's coming home with the win when he takes on Ilias Ennahachi on September 27 at ONE Friday Fights 81?"
Hiroki Akimoto had an amazing start to his ONE career in 2019, collecting six victories and a ONE world title in March 2022, before surrendering his belt to Petchtanong Petchfergus via split decision later that year.
Although he's suffering a two-fight skid, he hasn't been knocked out. Akimoto is known to put on exciting fights, and this next one against another former champ will surely guarantee fireworks.
ONE Friday Fights 81 will air live in Asian primetime via watch.onefc.com.
"Want to show people that I've become even stronger" - Hiroki Akimoto
32-year-old Hiroki Akimoto is hoping to increase his chances of capturing a victory on Sept. 27, after making major improvements to his game.
Every fighter learns from their past mistakes and Akimoto is one of them. Although his last two fights were close, he failed to bring home the win. And with a tough opponent like Ilias Ennahachi, who remains unbeaten in ONE Championship, Akimoto needs to get stronger.
Thankfully, the Japanese superstar has had a head start. He hopes to convince the world that he still has what it takes to be a dominant world champion.
He previously told ONE:
"While every fight is a must-win, I want to leave an impact and show people that I've become even stronger."