Japanese Kickboxing Megastar Masaaki Noiri Eyes World Title After Signing With ONE Championship

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ONE Championship's striking realm continues to flourish in 2024, and that's due to another elite kickboxer putting pen to paper with the world's largest martial arts organization earlier this week.

Japanese superstar Masaaki Noiri has inked a deal with ONE, strengthening the promotion's all-striking side. Noiri is regarded as one of the sport's pound-for-pound best hitters, so fans will get to experience a multitude of super-fights down the line.

The elite striker enters the frame as a former two-division K-1 World Champion K-1 Grand Prix Champion. He's also a former WBC Japanese Muay Thai Champion. And the potential challenges that lie ahead also excites Noiri.

"As ONE officially announced, I have signed a contract with ONE Championship, the highest stage for striking. If I want to pursue being the strongest in the world that I believe in, this is a stage I have to challenge on," Noiri said.

"I believe ONE is the ultimate stage for striking, so I wanted to challenge myself in that ring. I'm pursuing to be the strongest in the world through martial arts, so I chose this path to test if the current Masaaki Noiri can make it in ONE."

In signing with ONE, Noiri would be remiss if he didn't have kickboxing - or even Muay Thai - World Title ambitions in the organization. And at only 30-years-old, time is on his side.

His arrival comes after fellow Japanese kickboxing megastar Takeru Segawa debuted this past January at ONE 165. Takeru, however, wasn't successful in his quest for gold against ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 earlier this year.

But Noiri believes the Japanese jabbers will reach the mountaintop in ONE Championship eventually, showing the entire world the true capabilities of battlers from the Land of the Rising Sun.

"[My plan is] to definitely win the ONE world title," Noiri said. "Not just me, but together with Takeru Segawa. And we'll prove the strength of Japanese fighters to the world."