Masaaki Noiri credits Japanese fighters’ unwavering mental strength to “the spirit of Bushido”

Japanese fighters have always taken inspiration from some of their greatest warriors, and Masaaki Noiri is no different. In an interview with ONE Championship, the two-division K-1 Kickboxing champion said he and his fellow Japanese fighters always relied on their steel-like mentalities during fights.

This unwavering spirit came from, Noiri said, the legendary samurai warriors that helped shape what Japanese society is today.

Masaaki Noiri said:

"On the other hand, foreign fighters often come back with really high energy even after a loss, which is a big difference I’ve noticed. Because of that, I think Japanese fighters have a much stronger mentality of ‘we absolutely cannot lose.’ It’s almost like the spirit of Bushido or such in Japanese fighters, in my opinion.”

Noiri had to channel that warrior's mentality when he struggled to find his footing in ONE Championship. The Japanese star had a rough time adjusting to the global stage, but he finally found his rhythm in his third fight for the promotion.

Noiri displayed a silent intensity when he took on Shakir Al-Tekreeti in a featherweight kickboxing matchup at ONE 170 in January this year.

Going on with as calculated a pace as possible, Noiri chopped down at Al-Tekreeti's legs with a barrage of low kicks in the opening round. Bangkok then went into pandemonium when Noiri snapped Al-Tekreeti's right leg barely 30 seconds into the second round.

Not only did Noiri capture his 50th career win, he also secured a spot at ONE Championship's return to Japan.

Noiri will face off against ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai for the ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world title at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang.

ONE 172 goes down on March 23 at the historic Saitama Super Arena and will be streamed live on pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.

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Masaaki Noiri hellbent on beating Tawanchai in front of his home fans

Masaaki Noiri isn't just looking to claim a piece of ONE Championship gold, he's determined to knock off Tawanchai in front of his home fans.

Taking to Instagram, Noiri said he's been putting tremendous effort into his training camp to prove that he's a level above the ONE featherweight Muay Thai king.

"Today [training] was also tough. But it's all about beating Tawanchai on 3.23. I will definitely win,"