"Like some kind of monster" - Yuya Wakamatsu amazed by Masaaki Noiri's explosive finish of Tawanchai in Japan

Newly minted ONE flyweight MMA world champion Yuya Wakamatsu wasn't the only Japanese athlete who shocked the world and claimed 26 pounds of gold when ONE Championship descended upon the legendary Saitama Super Arena for ONE 172.

In another intriguing all-action showdown, his compatriot Masaaki Noiri took home a stunning knockout victory over Tawanchai PK Saenchai via a third round TKO to become the ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world champion on March 23 in Japan.

The Japanese superstar, who stunned Adriano Moraes in their rematch at 3:39 of the opening canto, was left in awe by the devastating power Noiri displayed en route to securing his position at the top of the food chain:

"I didn't think Tawanchai would fall like that. But Noiri-san was amazing. And, at times, he had explosive power like some kind of monster," Yuya Wakamatsu revealed in an interview with My Navi News.

Watch the full interview here:

Yuya Wakamatsu and Noiri walked away with US$50,000 performance bonuses for their highlight-reel finishes at ONE 172.

'Little Piranha's triumph over 'Mikinho' drew their head-to-head series to 1-1. Noiri, on the other hand, became the first man to hand the PK Saenchaimuaythaigym athlete a first knockout loss on the global stage of ONE Championship and he now waits for a chance to unify his gold with divisional king Superbon.

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Yuya Wakamatsu, Noiri, and other Japanese stars made the most of their chances at ONE 172

While top names and former K-1 champions Takeru Segawa and Kana Morimoto left the fabled venue with defeat, other Japanese warriors left their mark on the stacked March 23 spectacle.

Yuya Wakamatsu and Noiri aside, Nadaka Yoshinari earned a late knockout win of Rak Erawan in their atomweight Muay Thai joust. It was the 24-year-old's first win in the world's largest martial arts organization.

Former ONE lightweight MMA world champion Shinya Aoki, meanwhile, closed out his rivalry with Eduard Folayang at three wins to one with a trademark submission finish in the opening round of their lightweight MMA duel.

In addition, ex-bantamweight kickboxing king Hiroki Akimoto handed Brazilian knockout savant John Lineker his first loss under the striking ruleset.

A trio of rising talents from 'The Land of the Rising Sun' — Shimon Yoshinari, Hyu, and Ryusei — also came out victorious in their respective kickboxing and Muay Thai assignments.

Fans who missed any of the action can relive ONE 172 via watch.onefc.com.