3 Bouts That Could Steal The Show At ONE SAMURAI 4
Few nights on the 2026 combat sports calendar carry the profound weight of ONE SAMURAI 4. The blockbuster spectacle lands inside Tokyo’s Ariake Arena on Saturday, October 17, featuring 12 bouts spread across MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling.
Leading the charge, Jonathan “The General” Haggerty defends his ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title against former divisional king Hiroki Akimoto, while hometown bet Nadaka Yoshinari puts his ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title on the line in a high-stakes showdown with Malaysian sensation Rifdean “Magic Boy” Masdor.
The ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament semifinal round then sends Marat Grigorian against “The Handsome White Dragon” Luo Chao, and former ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Masaaki Noiri into battle with Mohammad Siasarani.
However, cards this deep are rarely anchored by the headliners alone. Lurking beneath those guaranteed barnburners sit three critical matchups armed with the firepower to completely upstage them. Here they are.
#1 Yuki Yoza Vs. Nabil Anane
Setbacks have never kept former K-1 Champion Yuki Yoza down for long. The 28-year-old hit a speed bump in April when he came up short in his quest for gold against Haggerty at ONE SAMURAI 1, but he emphatically responded with a masterful display to outpoint Ben “The Problem” Woolliss just three months later at The Inner Circle 22.
It was a trademark performance from the Team Vasileus standout, who brought the same relentless firepower that fueled a 3-0 start in the promotion over then-undefeated Elbrus “The Samurai” Osmanov, Petchtanong Petchfergus, and ex-flyweight kickboxing king “The Kicking Machine” Superlek.
Immediately following the triumph, Yoza turned his attention right back to his unfinished business with “The General,” and a decisive win against Nabil Anane in this bantamweight kickboxing tiff can certainly keep that championship dream alive.
Beating the former undisputed ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion will be easier said than done, however. The 22-year-old Anane rarely gives opponents room to breathe and has repeatedly showcased a fight IQ well beyond his years to overcome the absolute best in the business.
His promotional hit list includes ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion “King of the North” Nico Carrillo, Superlek, and multi-time Muay Thai World Champions “Elbow Zombie” Muangthai PK Saenchai and “Left Meteorite” Ratchasiesan Laochokcharoen. Unfortunately, Anane lost his strap to Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon in March and recently dropped a narrow split decision to Suakim Pongsuphan PK in August.
Still, at 6-foot-4, Anane packs the overwhelming reach and versatile striking arsenal to severely trouble the Japanese star, and their stylistic approaches could hardly be more different. Yoza, at 5-foot-7, wins with blistering precision, elite timing, and sharp technical striking, meaning this clash will likely come down to who controls the critical battle for range.
Two world-class strikers with this much to prove should leave the Ariake Arena absolutely buzzing.
#2 Itsuki Hirata Vs. Jihin Radzuan II
One haunting loss from 2022 still trails Itsuki “Android 18” Hirata, and at ONE SAMURAI 4 on October 17, she finally gets her chance to answer it.
The 27-year-old judo standout got her tenure on the global stage off to a flying 4-0 start with three spectacular finishes, only to have her momentum abruptly halted at ONE X when Jihin “Shadow Cat” Radzuan neutralized her ground craft en route to a gritty triumph on the judges’ scorecards.
Since then, the road has been bumpy, but the Japanese warrior has won two of her last three outings and arrives with fresh, dangerous momentum following a vicious third-round rear-naked choke of Ritu “The Indian Tigress” Phogat. Beating the Malaysian star would settle the bitter score for good and allow “Android 18” to continue her steady climb back into the upper echelons of the atomweight division.
Jihin, though, has not stood still since that fateful night. The Fairtex Training Center and Foxgloves Fight Gym affiliate owns signature victories against the division’s cream of the crop, and she has held her own in hard-fought battles with former ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Champions Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga and Stamp Fairtex.
February showcased just how far her game has evolved when she snapped the unbeaten record of promotional debutant Gabi Fujimoto with a thrilling third-round stoppage at ONE Fight Night 40. A narrow loss to the undefeated Anastasia “Anniemale” Nikolakakos interrupted that run, giving the Johor Bahru resident extra hunger to get right back into the win column.
Jihin’s slick escapes and well-timed strikes blunted Hirata’s signature hip throws the first time around, and the Tokyo native has had more than four years to completely rework her approach. A win now would give Hirata a massive boost, while a “Shadow Cat” victory on enemy soil would serve as a significant upset.
With a World Title picture to keep in view, neither woman can afford a slow start in this atomweight MMA joust — a perfect recipe for the kind of chaotic scrap that could effortlessly steal the show.
#3 Rukiya Anpo Vs. Bogdan Shumarov
Former K-1 Champion Rukiya “Demolition Man” Anpo made a strong, lasting impression in his maiden outing in the world’s largest martial arts organization, but now he desperately wants a result that matches the performance.
The Japanese striker stepped into his debut at ONE 173 against three-time Glory Kickboxing World Champion Marat Grigorian — one of the most feared knockout artists on the entire roster — and stayed in the intense firefight for all three rounds before the Armenian got his hand raised on the scorecards.
His hands carry genuine, fight-ending power, and now he moves up to lightweight in search of a fresh start. A performance that truly stands out could put the 27-win slugger in prime position to aggressively chase the divisional gold.
Looking to ruin his start in the promotion’s stacked lightweight kickboxing bracket is a Bulgarian bruiser who has a terrifying knack for wrapping things up early. Bogdan Shumarov carries a flawless finishing rate inside ONE Championship, boasting a pair of first-round knockouts of Marwen Houli and Maciej Karpinski alongside a ferocious third-round destruction of Constantin “Lioncrusher” Rusu.
“Demolition Man” operates with blinding speed, fluid movement, and highly creative kicks, while Shumarov brings bout-ending hooks and looping overhands, backed by punishing kicks of his own. Anpo’s tricky angles can keep the SB Gym standout constantly chasing, but the latter has proven time and again that all he needs is one clean exchange in the pocket to put his opponents completely to sleep.
Speed versus raw power always makes for a fascinating watch, and the divisional stakes add massive extra weight. Anpo is relentlessly chasing the breakthrough victory his debut denied him, and Shumarov is firmly on the hunt for yet another highlight-reel moment on the global stage.
At the very top of the division sits reigning ONE Lightweight Kickboxing and Muay Thai World Champion Regian “The Immortal” Eersel, and the man who emerges victorious in Tokyo will have a remarkably strong case to be next in line.
