Masaaki Noiri on the nasty left hook that flattened Tawanchai in Japan: "Something I used and practiced"

Japanese kickboxing superstar Masaaki Noiri reiterated that the left hook that knocked down Tawanchai at ONE 172 during their ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world championship match in front of the packed Saitama Super Arena last Sunday wasn't a lucky punch.

According to the newly minted interim featherweight king, it was something that is staple to his skillset. However, Masaaki Noiri admitted that the technique that set up the powerful punch was something new.

He revealed this during his post-fight interview with My Navi News:

"That hook was one of the tactics I always used. So it was something I used and practiced for. But the style leading up to that knockdown was new. So I think inspiration is important, after all."

Watch Masaaki Noiri's full interview here:

Apart from beating the current ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion and handing him his second loss under the world's largest martial arts organization, Noiri was also the first athlete to floor Tawanchai in the promotion.

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Masaaki Noiri ecstatic for his championship breakthrough at ONE 172

In just four fights in the promotion, Noiri was able to accomplish his ultimate goal of capturing the 26-pound golden belt, which was one of the main reasons why he signed with ONE Championship in the first place.

Additionally, the former K-1 champion has stamped his place at the upper echelon of top strikers in the world, as what he told My Navi News during a recent interview:

"Winning the world title meant a lot to me. It was at the top of my list. And now that I've gotten it, I think I've finally proven why I was the top contender. I jumped into the ring with the aim of becoming the strongest in the world, and I'm happy to prove that I'm one of the best now."

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