“I feel good about it” - Hiroki Akimoto fired up to return to winning ways vs. Wei Rui at ONE Fight Night 22

Former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Hiroki Akimoto is now plotting his route to reclaiming the championship ahead of his return to action.

Akimoto will take on Wei Rui in a bantamweight kickboxing contest at ONE Fight Night 22 on May 3 inside the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The Japanese star expressed his excitement ahead of the match through his recent interview with Sportskeeda MMA.

According to the Japanese star, he is hyped about his comeback and is ready to start his revenge tour, as he stated:

"Yes, I have been waiting for this fight for a long time. Fans have been waiting for this, too. Since the fight was confirmed, I have been preparing very well and I feel good about it. I'm excited to get back in the ring."

See the full interview below:

Hiroki Akimoto's last appearance inside the ring was in November 2022 at ONE 163, where he fought Petchtanong Petchfergus for the world title but was defeated via a close split decision result to yield the world title to him.

Before that tough loss, he had a fantastic record in the world's largest martial arts organization, with six wins and one defeat. Included in his hit list were Josh Tonna, Kenny Tse, Zhang Chenglong (twice), Qui Jianliang, and Capitan Petchyindee.

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Hiroki Akimoto wants to be the golden standard in kickboxing in ONE Championship

With his return fully set, Hiroki Akimoto is now planning to be the leading name in kickboxing and follow in the footsteps of his Japanese compatriot, Shohei Ohtani, who is now considered one of the best MLB players right now.

The 29-year-old wants to be the version of Ohtani in the sport and be known as the number one fighter in the world.

ONE Fight Night 22 will air live in U.S. primetime on May 3, free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in North America. The card will emanate inside the hallowed ring of the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.