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Masaaki Noiri talked about how his fanbase has grown since defeating Tawanchai.
At ONE 172, Noiri secured one of the biggest wins of his career, a second-round knockout against Tawanchai for the interim featherweight kickboxing title.
Noiri, a former two-division K-1 world champion, stood out amongst various entertaining matchups at ONE's historic event in Saitama, Japan.
The Japanese striker did a post-fight interview with My Navi News and had this to say about the new fans he generated from his win against Tawanchai:
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"I’ve always had many fans and supporters. But since competing in ONE Championship, I think my fanbase has grown. I’ve had a lot of reaction from overseas fans and they have been incredible. After this match, I think I had 20,000 followers all at once. Every time I open my Instagram, my followers kept increasing and increasing. Most of them are foreigners."
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Masaaki Noiri's ONE Championship tenure didn't start as planned. The former two-division K-1 world champion suffered back-to-back unanimous decision losses against Sitthichai and Liu Mengyang.
The 31-year-old has since found his footing in the promotion and secured consecutive knockout wins against Shaki Al-Tekreeti and Tawanchai. He now looks to overcome another world-class opponent for undisputed gold.
Watch Noiri's entire interview with My Navi News below:
Masaaki Noiri looks to conquer ONE featherweight kickboxing division against Superbon
Masaaki Noiri made a massive statement in the ONE featherweight kickboxing division by defeating Tawanchai. The Japanese striker must now defeat reigning champion Superbon to officially conquer the stacked division.
In January 2023, Superbon suffered his lone promotional kickboxing defeat and lost his featherweight strap against Chingiz Allazov.
The Thai superstar later bounced back with wins against Tayfun Ozcan and Marat Grigorian. The latter win earned him the ONE featherweight kickboxing title.
Superbon has since been upgraded to the primary champion due to Allazov remaining inactive with the promotion.
With a win against Superbon, Noiri would solidify his legacy under the ONE banner, furthering his status as an unforgettable kickboxer.
It'll be easier said than done, as Superbon's promotional kickboxing resume features wins against Sitthichai, Giorgio Petrosyan, Tayfun Ozcan, and Marat Grigorian x2.
