WATCH: How Hiroki Akimoto's Kyokushin Karate style bested Capitan Petchyindee's Muay Thai for ONE gold
Kyokushin Karate and Muay Thai added another chapter to their storied rivalry at ONE X in March 2022 when Japan's Hiroki Akimoto challenged Thailand's Capitan Petchyindee for the ONE bantamweight kickboxing world championship.
Akimoto and Capitan represented their fighting backgrounds superbly throughout the five-round battle, with the Kyokushin Karate black belter getting in and out of range in between his offense and Capitan responding with fast, high-low combos.
Though Capitan put up a strong performance, judges ultimately awarded Akimoto the ONE bantamweight kickboxing world championship via unanimous decision.
Watch their high-octane world title tilt below, which ONE shared on YouTube:
Akimoto's triumph over Capitan marked his sixth victory in seven outings under the ONE banner and extended his winning streak to five, which dates back to July 2019.
However, Petchtanong Petchfergus supplanted Akimoto as the new 145-pound kickboxing king in November 2022 with a split-decision performance in one of the year's biggest upsets.
After losing to Wei Rui this past May, Akimoto will look for a return to the win column by handing former ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Ilias Ennahachi his first loss in ONE Championship at ONE Friday Fights 81 on Sept. 27 inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Hiroki Akimoto ready for ONE Friday Fights 81 duel with Ilias Ennahachi
Hiroki Akimoto is excited to share the circle with Ilias Ennahachi at ONE Friday Fights 81 on Sept. 27 inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Speaking with the South China Morning Post, Akimoto said about the upcoming duel between former ONE kickboxing world champions:
"It's a very important match to becoming champion again. He's really good, and I think it will be a fast and powerful fight — so please look forward to it."
ONE Friday Fights 81 is available at Asian primetime on pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.