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Two former kings will march their way to bantamweight kickboxing contention at ONE Friday Fights 81 on September 27 inside the fabled grounds of Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Hiroki Akimoto will welcome Ilias Ennahachi to the 145-pound kickboxing division in a pivotal three-round slugfest with possible world title implications.
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Hiroki Akimoto once reigned over the stacked bantamweight kickboxing ranks with his technically mesmerizing striking skills.
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The Japanese superstar, however, has figured in tough times as of late following back-to-back setbacks.
After surrendering his 26 pounds of gold to Petchtanong Petchfergus back in 2022, the now second-ranked contender dropped a close unanimous decision verdict to China's Wei Rui at ONE Fight Night 22 last May.
At his best, Akimoto is a cerebral technician who can cut down his foes with deadly precision from the outside. He is also an elite counterstriker, a skill he shares with Ennahachi.
It's been a while since ONE fans have witnessed the Dutch-Moroccan superstar in action. After vacating his flyweight kickboxing crown, Ennahachi will move up a weight class in a bid to chase two-division supremacy.
The S&B star has a perfect 4-0 slate in the world's largest martial arts organization and is the only fighter to beat current flyweight kickboxing king Superlek Kiatmoo9 in ONE.
Takeru also returns at ONE Friday Fights 81
Another massive reason fans shouldn't miss ONE Friday Fights 81 is the return of Japanese superstar Takeru Segawa.
After his epic five-round battle against Superlek last January, 'Natural Born Crusher' will take on the surging Black Panther in a three-round flyweight kickboxing affair.
The 24-year-old Thai is currently on a three-fight winning streak, holding impressive wins over Mohammad Sadeghi, Suriyanlek Por Yenying, and Ali Saldoev.
Follow Sportskeeda MMA and ONE Championship for updates on this developing card.
ONE Friday Fights 81 will air live in Asian primetime via watch.onefc.com and ONE's digital platforms in selected countries.
