“All part of the plan” - Masaaki Noiri says he meticulously fine-tuned brutal left hook that finished off Tawanchai 

Masaaki Noiri knew his signature left hook was his ticket to an upset victory over the phenomenal Tawanchai PK Saenchai.

At ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang, the Japanese star put that plan into motion and ultimately shocked the world.

Noiri entered as a significant underdog against the reigning featherweight Muay Thai world champion.

While pundits were quick to write him off, the former K-1 multi-division world champion paid them no mind and continued working behind closed doors.

After studying Tawanchai's patterns and tendencies, Noiri found a way to create the opening he needed to land his best weapon.

After weathering the Thai's early onslaught, Noiri landed a pinpoint left cross bomb in round three that sent Tawanchai crumbling to the canvas.

The PK Saenchai superstar was able to survive briefly, but it was clear his legs were gone. The Team Vasileus athlete went for the kill and unloaded a violent barrage to put away Tawanchai for good and claim the interim featherweight kickboxing crown.

Masaaki Noiri expressed how delighted he was to execute his grand plan in an interview with My Navi News:

"I prepared different styles or tactics for this fight, but the display that I brought on the fight, that wasn’t one of them. But how can I put it? It was an inspiration while we were fighting, but that left hook was all part of the plan."

Watch the full interview:

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Masaaki Noiri looks back at rocky road to world championship

Masaaki Noiri could have easily given up after his lackluster 0-2 start in the home of martial arts. Instead, he used that rough patch as motivation to show the world his true abilities.

In a heartwarming Instagram post, the 31-year-old Japanese superstar reflected on his struggles before claiming that coveted 26 pounds of gold:

"I took a lot of detours and stumbled many times at important times, but thank you for always being kind and sometimes strict, supporting me the most, and always believing in me."

The replay of ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang is available via watch.onefc.com.