“I belong among the best in the world” - Masaaki Noiri says beating Tawanchai cements his place among the elite  

At ONE 172, Masaaki Noiri shocked the world with a stunning third-round knockout over Tawanchai PK Saenchai, securing the interim ONE featherweight kickboxing world title in what many saw as an upset.

The Japanese star had a goal when he joined ONE Championship: to test his skills against the best of the best. And last weekend, he did just that. Noiri came in as the underdog, going up against one of the most fearsome strikers in the game, and against the expectations of many, walked out with the belt around his waist.

In an interview with My Navi News, he talked about why he joined the promotion:

"The sole reason I joined ONE Championship is because I want to fight against these kinds of fighters. I really wanted to prove I belong among the best in the world. So that's why I joined ONE Championship."

Watch the full interview below:

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“Even contemplated retirement” - Interim kickboxing champ Masaaki Noiri reveals he nearly called it quits after rough start in ONE

Masaaki Noiri's entry into ONE Championship was far from what he envisioned. Instead of the grand debut he envisioned, he suffered devastating back-to-back losses that nearly broke his spirit. The frustration ran so deep that the Japanese star admitted he very nearly walked away from the sport entirely:

"When I lost two fights in a row, of course, I thought about what I wanted to do, and even contemplated retirement," he told My Navi News. "But it all changed when I got my comeback fight in January and won by KO."

Noiri went up against Shakir Al-Tekreeti at ONE 170 and knocked the Iraqi out in the first few seconds of the second round. Now, he has collected two consecutive knockouts and earned the interim featherweight kickboxing belt. And with momentum on his side, he is back on track and charging straight towards unification.

Watch ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang via replay on watch.onefc.com.