"It should lead to a title fight" - Hiroki Akimoto says he's next in line for Jonathan Haggerty if he beats Wei Rui

Former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Hiroki Akimoto of Japan believes that a victory over Chinese superstar 'Demon Blade' Wei Rui this weekend should put him in pole position for a shot at the coveted gold.

The 31-year-old Japanese veteran out of Evolve MMA in Singapore says he has gold on his mind, and that beating Wei should be enough to get him a date with reigning two-sport king 'The General' Jonathan Haggerty.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Akimoto talked about the stakes of his next fight.

The 31-year-old said:

"Since my opponent in this fight is also a strong fighter, if I can win this one decisively, it should lead to a title fight."

Haggerty holds both the bantamweight Muay Thai and kickboxing world titles, and Akimoto is looking to reclaim his throne.

Hiroki Akimoto is set to face former K-1 world champion 'Demon Blade' Wei Rui at ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova on Prime Video.

The event broadcasts live from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free on Friday, May 3rd, U.S. primetime, with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

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Hiroki Akimoto wants to stay fresh for potential shot at gold this year: "I just need to get back to training"

Former bantamweight kickboxing king Hiroki Akimoto fully expects to be contending for gold later this year, if he gets past Wei Rui this Friday night.

Whether it's against Jonathan Haggerty himself, or someone else for an interim belt, Akimoto wants to be the man in the ring.

He told Sportskeeda MMA:

"I haven't really thought about the interim title but like you said, it could be hard for Jonathan Haggerty to defend the title this year. If the interim title is going to happen, I just need to get back to training."