Hiroki Akimoto says clash with Jonathan Haggerty would be ‘the most exciting fight for the fans’

Former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Hiroki Akimoto has his eyes on a shot to regain his gold versus newly crowned divisional king Jonathan Haggerty.

The Japanese star, who dropped his belt in his first assignment versus Petchtanong Petchfergus in November last year, is keen to get himself immediately back into the title picture after seeing the Englishman bag the strap in the main event of ONE Fight Night 16 on November 3.

With renewed vigor and motivation, Akimoto believes he can present ‘The General’ with a tough fight whenever the ONE matchmakers decide its game time.

Speaking to the South China Morning Post, the 31-year-old said:

“Of course, my skill set is up to get the title fight. Also, Haggerty versus Hiroki will be the most exciting fight for the fans, and that’s the reason why fans are talking about it, about the title shot.”

Watch the full interview here:

While it won’t be easy for the Evolve MMA affiliate to snatch the gold from Jonathan Haggerty, the 31-year-old believes his past victories and near-immaculate streak on the global stage of ONE Championship mean he deserves it more than anyone else on the roster.

Before his split decision loss to Petchtanong, the WFKO Kyokushin karate world champion was riding on a five-fight win streak against top-tier opponents. His only defeat during that stretch came to Italian-Moroccan dynamite Joseph Lasiri in May 2019.

Although there’s some sort of confidence brewing in his camp, Akimoto knows Jonathan Haggerty has been embarking on a path of greatness, and he would be no easy assignment if they go toe-to-toe in the future.

North American fans with an active subscription can watch ‘The General’s' masterful title-winning performance over Fabricio Andrade and the entire ONE Fight Night 16 card via replay on Amazon Prime Video.