ONE 172: “A Japanese star needs to emerge” - Masaaki Noiri ready to lead the pack for his home country at ONE 172

Japanese kickboxing star Masaaki Noiri is heading into his next fight with immense pride.

The 31-year-old former multi-time K-1 kickboxing world champion is honored to be among the elite Japanese contingent competing at the hallowed Saitama Super Arena this weekend to represent 'the land of the rising sun' on the global stage of ONE Championship.

Speaking to the promotion in a recent pre-fight interview, Noiri talked about representing Japan in the world's largest martial arts organization on its biggest card of the year.

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The 31-year-old told ONE:

"Since this fight is happening in Japan, I believe a Japanese star needs to emerge. By securing a decisive victory, I can take a step closer to becoming that star."

Noiri added:

"The ONE featherweight division is full of strong fighters, but if a fighter like me can break in, it could create something new—a new era, so to speak. That's what I'm aiming for."

Noiri is set for the toughest test to date in his young career, and a victory this weekend could catapult him into superstardom.

Masaaki Noiri to face Tawanchai PK Saenchai for kickboxing gold at ONE 172 in Japan

Former K-1 titleholder Masaaki Noiri is set to challenge Thai superstar Tawanchai PK Saenchai for the ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world title.

The two square off in a five-round bout at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang, which will be broadcast live from the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan this Sunday, March 23.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live via global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event as it happens.

About the author

Dan is an MMA writer with 10+ years of overall experience. Before his ongoing tenure at Sportskeeda, Dan got the opportunity to be at the forefront of the sport by contributing to ONE Championship and Fight Game Asia. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology.

Dan’s connection to MMA started during the early days of the UFC and ONE Championship. He previously practiced boxing and ranks Demetrious Johnson, Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, and Fedor Emelianenko as the top five MMA fighters of all time.

He has covered several events onsite and on the ground for ONE Championship and hopes to continue doing so. He ensures that he churns out accurate articles by citing only legitimate sources and getting firsthand accounts through exclusive interviews whenever required.

Dan feels MMA fighter pay seems like an issue because it often gets compared to what fighters earn in boxing but that MMA will eventually catch up in the future.

His other interests include soccer and video games.

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Edited by C. Naik