ONE Championship

Three losses in a row could have broken a former titleholder. Instead, a Japanese striker chose the hardest possible path back, and it led straight to a World Title shot.

Hiroki Akimoto challenges Jonathan “The General” Haggerty for the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title in the main event of ONE SAMURAI 4 on Saturday, October 17. The card unfolds at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

The 33-year-old became Japan’s first ONE Kickboxing World Champion at ONE X, then lost the belt to Petchtanong Petchfergus in his first defense in 2022. Defeats to Wei Rui and Ilias Ennahachi followed, leaving him winless since losing the crown.

His turnaround began against former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion John Lineker at ONE 172 in March 2025. Facing the Brazilian’s heavy hands, Akimoto deliberately chose to confront his weaknesses rather than coast on kicks.

“There might have been easier ways to win – like kicking to rack up points or landing more low kicks,” Akimoto said.

“But I felt I had to properly tackle my own weaknesses, or I wouldn’t be able to become champion again. In that sense, it was a really important fight in my career.”

Hiroki Akimoto solved Wei Rui the second time

The split decision over Lineker stopped the slide, but his next test at ONE 173 demanded a completely different approach. Wei, who had beaten him in their first meeting, brought a measured, points-driven style that Akimoto had to neutralize.

He earned the unanimous decision, then added a split-decision win over 20-year-old Taimu Hisai at ONE SAMURAI 1 to make it three straight. Those contrasting victories, he says, shaped the fighter now challenging Haggerty.

“Wei Rui is really skilled at scoring points. He’s very good at winning on points, so my focus was on not letting him do that. I was able to properly show what I’d been working on,” Akimoto said.

“Technically speaking, those two fights were completely different. In the Lineker fight, it was more about exchanging punches and fighting at close range. And in the Wei Rui fight, the key was the battle for points. Those two fights were really a big plus for me.”

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM