Masaaki Noiri admits it was "a dream come true" to claim world title inside fabled Saitama Super Arena

Newly minted ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world champion Masaaki Noiri couldn't script his championship triumph against Tawanchai PK Saenchai last Sunday during the co-main event of the ONE 172 card inside the Saitama Super Arena in Japan.

Against all odds and coming in as the heavy underdog in the match, Noiri scored a third-round TKO finish over the reigning ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion.

During his post-fight interview with My Navi News, the former two-division K-1 champion said that he has finally fulfilled his main purpose of joining the world's largest martial arts organization - winning a world title.

Additionally, the legendary halls of the Saitama Super Arena have made this triumph even sweeter, as he explained:

"This is the reason I came to this organization, and it's a dream come true for me to get the belt here in Saitama."

Watch Masaaki Noiri's full interview here:

This latest win was Noiri's second-straight after previously beating Shakir Al-Tekreeti last January 2025 at ONE 170 and earned him the coveted $50,000 performance bonus from ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.

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Masaaki Noiri claims that the atomic left hook against Tawanchai was all part of his fight plan

The 31-year-old striking superstar admitted that the solid left hook he landed on Tawanchai was a product of the adjustment he made mid-fight.

According to Masaaki Noiri, it was part of his fight plan that eventually helped him to score that stoppage victory, as he told My Navi News in his post-fight interview:

"I prepared different styles or tactics for this fight, but the display that I brought on the fight, that wasn't one of them. But how can I put it? It was an inspiration while we were fighting, but that left hook was all part of the plan."

Fans can rewatch all the action from the ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang card via watch.onefc.com.