"His fighting style is exciting" - Japanese star Masaaki Noiri rooting for Liam Harrison to beat his countryman Katsuki Kitano

Most fans would expect kickboxing superstar Masaaki Noiri to root for his fellow Japanese fighter Katsuki Kitano in his upcoming battle with Liam Harrison at ONE 167.

Turns out, it's the complete opposite. The multi-division K-1 world recently appeared in an interview with the South China Morning Post, where he expressed his support for 'Hitman's comeback fight after recovering from a knee injury:

"Honestly, I haven't seen Kitano fight before. But Harrison, I've faced him before and I talked to him via Instagram DM. I know his fighting style is exciting and I want him to KO his opponent and win the fight."

To be fair, Noiri has some history with Harrison after beating him via TKO in a Glory event back in 2013.

The British striker also seems to have a great deal of respect for the latest ONE signee, calling him a great addition to the world's largest martial arts organization.

The pair will reunite on June 7 at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand for ONE 167.

Noiri will be making his promotional debut in the stacked card, against the third-ranked featherweight kickboxing contender Sitthichai 'Killer Kid' Sitsongpeenong.

Prime Video subscribers in North America can watch ONE 167 live on US Primetime free of charge.

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Masaaki Noiri has a point to prove at ONE 167

There's certainly a ton of hype surrounding Masaaki Noiri's ONE debut, given his lofty kickboxing credentials.

The 31-year-old striker, though, says he's used to the pressure. Moreover, Noiri will enter this showdown with a massive chip on his shoulder and is out to make a statement.

He told SCMP MMA:

"My job is to prove how strong Japanese figthers are and [show] who Noiri Masaaki is."

Watch Masaaki Noiri's full SCMP MMA interview: