"Took that kick seriously" - Fans in awe of Hiroki Akimoto’s devastating leg kick sequence against Qiu Jianliang

ONE Championship fans can't stop talking about the incredible speed of Hiroki Akimoto's devastating leg kicks.

Amid an impressive five-fight win streak, Akimoto stepped inside the Circle with Chinese standout Qiu Jianliang at ONE Winter Warriors in December 2021. On that night, Akimoto put both his speed and his power on display, leaving Singapore Indoor Stadium with a unanimous decision victory.

"Too fast. If you had to sum up the matchup between Hiroki Akimoto and Wei Rui in one word, what would it be?"

Fans blew up the comments section on Instagram while marveling over Hiroki Akimoto's quickness, writing:

"Bro took that kick seriously."

"Wow!!! That is incredible speed."

"What a counter, hats off for this man."

"Isane low kick."

Returning to action after some time away, the No. 1 ranked bantamweight kickboxing contender will look to pick up where he left off when he meets 32-year-old Chinese debutant Wei Rui at ONE Fight Night 22 on Prime Video.

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Hiroki Akimoto faces a tough test when he makes his return at ONE Fight Night 22

Emanating from the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium on Friday, May 3, Akimoto will be on the hunt for his seventh win in ONE Championship and 27th overall. However, that will be no easy task when he meets one of China's most decorated kickboxers.

Previously competing under the K-1 banner, Wei captured the K-1 World GP Lightweight Championship title in 2017, becoming China's first-ever K-1 world champion. The following year, he added the Glory of Heroes junior world title to his collection.

Along the way, Wei was dubbed by Combat Press as the No. 3 ranked featherweight fighter and the No. 7 pound-for-pound best in the world.

If he can score a big win over Hiroki Akimoto in his ONE Championship debut, he will likely jump right to the top of the bantamweight kickboxing rankings, setting the stage for a potential clash with current two-sport king Jonathan Haggerty.

ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE Fight Night 22 live and for free via Amazon Prime Video in U.S. primetime on Friday, May 3.