ONE 165: Hiroba Minowa, Gustavo Balart duel for potential world title shot in Tokyo showdown

A pivotal strawweight MMA clash has been added to the ONE 165 card on January 28, 2024, which will happen inside the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, as No. 3-ranked contender Hiroba Minowa and No. 4-ranked challenger Gustavo Balart are pitted against each other for an opportunity to inch closer to a world title shot.

The two stars will be part of the stacked event that is headlined by the flyweight kickboxing match between reigning ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Japanese superstar Takeru Segawa.

Minowa won his two fights by split decision under the world’s largest martial arts organization by beating Lito Adiwang in November 2020 at ONE: Inside the Matrix III and former world champion Alex Silva in March 2021 at ONE: Fists of Fury III.

Meanwhile, ‘El Gladiator’ currently rides a three-fight win streak after beating Ryuto Sawada in July 2021 at ONE: Battleground, Yosuke Saruta in April 2022 at ONE 156, and Alex Silva in October 2022 at ONE 162.

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A possible world title shot awaits the winner of Hiroba Minowa-Gustavo Balart match

ONE Championship recently announced its groundbreaking card in Qatar on March 1, where the ONE strawweight MMA world title will be up for grabs between reigning world champion Jarred Brooks and No. 1-ranked divisional contender Joshua Pacio in a highly anticipated rematch inside the Lusail Sports Arena.

As strawweight contenders await the result of this fight, the next challenger for the coveted 26-pound golden belt might be the winner of the upcoming strawweight MMA clash between Minowa and Balart. If this is the case, it will be the first time that either athlete will have the opportunity to win the world title.