"I can prove my own strength" - Masaaki Noiri expects the Sitthichai of old in pivotal kickboxing showdown at ONE 167

Masaaki Noiri isn't coming into his ONE Championship debut with the mindset that he is taking out a veteran of the game that may be on the decline.

The Japanese star is expecting completely the opposite when he makes his long awaited first walk to the Circle on June 7 at ONE 167.

Given his pedigree that he has achieved elsewhere, Noiri is looking to cement himself right at the top of the ONE featherweight kickboxing division.

However, as his opponent can attest to, there are no easy fights in this division considering that some of the best strikers in the world currently compete within it.

At the Impact Arena, Noiri will face off with one of the top names in the division, the Thai legend Sitthichai.

The striking veteran is currently coming off of consecutive defeats but Noiri believes that this will only make him more motivated and hungry for the win.

He expects to see the best version of his opponent on fight night which he believes, in return, will only make it more impressive when he secures the debut win:

"He'll come at his absolute peak form ever. And by defeating that, I can prove my own strength."

Sitthichai will look to defend his ground against Masaaki Noiri

Sitthichai has been a part of this shark tank division for a long time now and he isn't going to let Masaaki Noiri simply come in and take his spot.

For all of the talent that currently competes in this division, there is only so many spots for the top contenders and that's exactly what the Japanese stand out is looking to accomplish with this fight.

He wants to announce himself to ONE Championship fans as a major player in featherweight kickboxing but to do it, he'll need to get past one of the division's stalwarts who does not go away without a fight.

ONE 167 will air live at US prime time on June 7 and is free to watch for North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription.