Japanese slugger Masaaki Noiri has revealed the exact moment he knew he had victory within reach during his stunning upset of Tawanchai PK Saenchai at ONE 172 in Saitama, Japan.
The former two-division K-1 champ picked up the biggest triumph of his career in one of four world title fights that rocked the Saitama Super Arena on March 23. The 31-year-old stopped the seemingly unstoppable Thai superstar in the third round to lay his hands on the ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world title.
He's now provided insight into the turning point that delivered him 26 pounds of gold and a US$50,000 performance bonus from ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
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"I think I hit him with a left body shot. I wasn't too sure if it was the left or the right, but I heard him wincing in pain," Masaaki Noiri told My Navi News, describing the juncture when he first detected vulnerability in the PK Saenchai Muaythaigym affiliate.
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Watch the full interview here:
Noiri weathered an early storm from the ONE featherweight Muay Thai king, who controlled the pace and his foe behind his pinpoint push kicks and hands. But the Team Vasileus superstar's patience paid dividends as he began to turn the tide around the midway point of round two.
In the third round, fans inside the iconic venue witnessed a different Noiri emerge from his corner — aggressive and ready to pounce. From there, it took Noiri 1:55 of the canto to put his foe down and emerge victorious.
His win in 'The Land of the Rising Sun' upped his overall slate to 51-13 and 2-2 in ONE Championship.
Masaaki Noiri sees room for improvement despite crushing win in Japan
Despite enjoying an unforgettable night in Japan, Masaaki Noiri is on a mission to continue improving his craft.
The Japanese warrior noticed some shortcomings in his fight against the Thai superstar, and he's hell-bent on working on his flaws before his inevitable featherweight kickboxing world title unification matchup against divisional king Superbon.
"I wasn't able to throw my counters the way I had practiced. So that is something I need to work on. I wasn't able to use everything I've practiced. It met the grade, but I do think there is room for further growth," he continued in the same interview.
Fight fans can head to watch.onefc.com to catch the full event replay of ONE 172.
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