ONE debutant Wei Rui wants to prove that 'Sanda beats Karate' against Hiroki Akimoto at ONE Fight Night 22

China's first-ever K-1 world champion Wei Rui is taking his act to the world stage with his upcoming promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs Diachkova at Prime Video.

Sharing the ring with 'Demon Blade' is former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Hiroki Akimoto in a thrilling three-round strikefest.

The unique clash of styles between the two fierce warriors is not lost on Wei. After all, he comes from a Sanda background, while his Japanese counterpart is known for his Kyokushin Karate-based arsenal.

As such, Wei is anticipating the technically sound Akimoto to launch a bevy of kicks his way.

However, Wei Rui has developed a way to counter such attacks after facing steep competition in the Sanda and kickboxing circuit. The 34-year-old said in an interview with ONE:

"Karate has more kicking techniques, so I think he has the advantage on that. As a Sanda student, my movement will be more agile."

ONE Fight Night 22 will emanate from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and will air live on US Primetime on May 3. The event is free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in North America.

Hiroki Akimoto says he'll trade kick-for-kick with Wei Rui

ONE fans are already familiar with Hiroki Akimoto's handiwork, particularly his ability to land kicks with impunity from long range.

The Evolve MMA star, though, knows Wei has wicked kicks of his own. Needless to say, Akimoto expects the Chinese star to bring the heat in his ONE debut. He told ONE:

"I'm good at kicking too, and since my opponent excels at various kicks, that aspect should be a highlight."