“He pushed me to the limit” - Masaaki Noiri credits trainer for unlocking his best version for ONE 172

Most would assume that combat sports is an individual thing. But while interim ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Masaaki Noiri may have stepped into the ring alone, he made it clear that his third-round knockout of Thai star Tawanchai wasn't a solo achievement.

No matter who it is, fighters can only go as far as their coach can take them. Fresh off capturing his shiny new title, Noiri made sure to shine the spotlight on the man behind his camp: his coach, Masazaku.

Written in Japanese in his Instagram post, he said:

"It's natural for athletes to have a hard time. Masakazu-san is the one who understands the athletes' feelings the most, and even though it was harder than anyone else, he didn't show any signs of it and pushed me to the limit every day. I'm really grateful. There's no other trainer as great as him. I'll be taking a little break, but I'll keep working hard, so please continue to support me!"

All the hard work paid off in Saitama, where Noiri delivered a highlight-reel-worthy knockout in front of a roaring home crowd.

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“The whole world was looking at me” - Masaaki Noiri says he kept faith when no one else believed he could beat Tawanchai

Much like a zero-to-hero story, Masaaki Noiri went from overlooked to undeniable. Noiri knew the odds (and the expectations) weren't in his favor going into ONE 172, but that only made the outcome even more satisfying.

"So for this fight, I knew the whole world was looking at me and that I was going to lose and Tawanchai would win, but I kept believing in myself. And my team and I were sure that we could get a belt."

With a shiny new belt on his shoulder, a unification bout is looming on the horizon. But for now, Noiri is content just soaking in the moment.