"He's the model of a southpaw fighter" - Masaaki Noiri says ONE 167 opponent Sitthichai is the perfect prototype for lefty strikers

At ONE 167, Masaaki Noiri will look to make his ONE Championship debut on a huge stage with a massive opportunity at his feet.

Following his career in Japan, the new addition to the roster comes in with a lot of promise but in order to prove himself, he must impress in his first fight.

The pedigree that Noiri brings to the table means that he is jumping right in at the deep end of one of the most stacked divisions in the sport.

For some time now, the ONE featherweight kickboxing division has been a shark tank with some of the very best strikers in the sport today circling one another.

Sitthichai has proven himself to be one of those elite contenders who has taken on the best of the best in the promotion.

The Thai veteran now draws the task of welcoming a new face on June 7 when he will look to put Noiri to the test at the Impact Arena.

In an interview with ONE Championship, the Japanese standout spoke about his expectations of facing Sitthichai.

He credited his opponent with being the archetype for the kind of striker that he has proven himself to be for many years:

"Sitthichai has been a famous, strong fighter for a long time with great technique. He's the model of a southpaw fighter."

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Masaaki Noiri has the chance to hit the ground running

Rather than working his way up the ladder one fight at a time, Masaaki Noiri has the opportunity to come right in and announce himself at the top.

Defeating Sitthichai will immediately show that he belongs at this level and will set him up for only bigger challenges from that point on.

That being said, as has been proven time and time again, defeating a veteran of the game like his opponent will be no easy task.

ONE 167 will air live in US prime time on June 7 from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers.