Wei Rui "super motivated" to improve after subpar win over Hiroki Akimoto: "I will try harder the next time"

Chinese kickboxer Wei Rui had a winning ONE Championship debut last week but believes his performance could have been better. It is something he is taking note of as he advances his campaign in the promotion.

'Demon Blade' was a unanimous decision winner over former bantamweight kickboxing world champion Hiroki Akimoto at ONE Fight Night 22 on May 3 in Bangkok, Thailand.

The two went back and forth in their three-round scrap, with both having their moments in a technical showcase of their skills. In the end, however, it was the 32-year-old Wei who topped in the judges' scorecards.

While happy with the victory, Wei Rui said his performance still left much to be desired and he is looking to redeem himself for it in his upcoming fights.

He shared this at the post-event press conference for ONE Fight Night 22, saying:

"This is my debut in ONE Championship, and I think it's not really the best show. But I'm super motivated now. I will continue to focus on training and I will try harder the next time. I will be back."

See the interview below:

Prior to joining ONE Championship, Wei Rui competed in other organizations in Asia, including K-1, where he was a lightweight world champion.

The replay of the full card of ONE Fight Night 22 is available to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

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Wei Rui says unpredictabilty key to win over Hiroki Akimoto

While he felt he could have done better in his winning ONE Championship debut, Wei Rui said he still brought some things that greatly helped his cause, particularly his unpredictable style of fighting.

The veteran Chinese striker had himself a battle against former bantamweight kickboxing world champion Hiroki Akimoto of Japan at ONE Fight Night 22 on May 3 at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

He had his early struggles but managed to steady the ship, banking on his experience and myriad skills, as the fight wore on en route to the unanimous decision victory.

Wei Rui shared his assessment of his ONE debut fight at the post-event presser, saying:

"When it comes to [the fight], as the audience can see, he did a lot of crazy things. But he didn't really dominate the fight, as you can see him struggling. He can't fight at my pace and I'm always unpredictable. That is also my greatest technique."

Wei now looks to build on his winning debut and establish his standing in his new home of ONE Championship.

The defeat, meanwhile, was the second straight for Akimoto, after that in November 2022 to Thai Petchanong Petchfergus, where he lost the ONE bantamweight kickboxing gold.