‘I Am Not Going To Lose Anymore’ – Masaaki Noiri Eyes Redemption In ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament
Former ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Masaaki Noiri is officially ready to kick-start his march back to the divisional throne on home soil.
The Japanese superstar is slated to return at ONE SAMURAI 2 on Saturday, August 8, where he’ll compete in the prestigious ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament.
Emanating live from Tokyo’s Ebara Wave Arena Ota, the eight-man bracket offers the ultimate prize: a guaranteed shot at the undisputed king, Superbon.
To take his first step toward redemption, the Team Vasileus representative must navigate a high-stakes rematch in the quarterfinals.
At ONE SAMURAI 2, he’ll stand across the ring from Chinese standout “Spirit Dragon” Liu Mengyang – the man who handed him a tough decision loss at ONE Friday Fights 92 in December 2024.
That defeat put him on a two-bout skid, marking a difficult start to life in ONE Championship for Noiri. But he retooled his game to launch a spectacular resurgence.
First, the Tokyo resident finished Iraqi striker Shakir Al-Tekreeti at ONE 170 in January 2025, and then he authored a jaw-dropping third-round knockout of the division’s Muay Thai king, Tawanchai PK Saenchai, at ONE 172 two months later to capture the interim kickboxing belt.
Though he subsequently dropped a competitive unanimous decision to Superbon in their highly anticipated ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Title unification bout at ONE 173 last November, Noiri immediately went back to the laboratory to correct his errors.
The 33-year-old reflected:
“I wasn’t fully securing enough points round by round. I am also reflecting on the fact that I wasn’t able to completely break him down, and I want to apply these lessons to my next fight.”
For a technician of Noiri’s caliber, a minor setback is simply an opportunity to adjust and come back even stronger.
The Tokyo-based knockout artist didn’t see a need to overhaul his entire training program, understanding that his foundational skills and development at Team Vasileus remain world-class.
Noiri continued:
“Nothing in particular has changed. I resumed my training right away, and I have just been training as usual.”
That unshakeable work ethic is heavily fueled by national pride.
Following the recent retirement of ONE Interim Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Takeru “Natural Born Krusher” Segawa, Noiri feels a deep professional calling to carry the torch for Japanese kickboxing on the global stage.
Noiri revealed how he has been inspired by his compatriot. And with a massive weight of responsibility on his back, the featherweight star is on a strict mission to eliminate any inconsistencies from his promotional record and establish an uninterrupted era of success.
The Japanese dynamo said:
“I was simply moved by [Takeru’s performance]. With Takeru [now retired], I feel that I must become the fighter to shoulder the responsibility [of leading the sport] in his place.
“Since I started competing in ONE, it’s been a string of alternating wins and losses. But I am not going to lose anymore, so please expect great things from me.”
The Path To Redemption Runs Through Liu Mengyang
Entering the grueling eight-man tournament against Liu Mengyang at ONE SAMURAI 2 represents an ideal path back to the gold for Masaaki Noiri.
After falling just short of becoming the undisputed ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion last November, the proud veteran views this high-profile tournament as the perfect clean slate to rewrite his story in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
The Japanese superstar said:
“It is a great opportunity for me. Because I fell short of expectations last time, I believe this is an opportunity to redeem myself.”
Standing in his way is Liu, who has become more and more dangerous with every single outing. Since their initial meeting, the 23-year-old phenom has disrupted the weight class.
After overwhelming future ONE Interim Featherweight Muay Thai World Title challenger Shadow Mavinn at ONE Friday Fights 126 in September 2025, he stopped Tawanchai with leg kicks in 52 seconds at ONE Friday Fights 137 three months later. He capped his three-bout winning streak by surgically outclassing Gabriel Pereira at The Inner Circle 15 last month.
Noiri respects his opponent’s rapid evolution, but he believes he has spotted a critical psychological flaw in “Spirit Dragon” that he can systematically exploit in their Tokyo rematch this August.
The Japanese contender said:
“He has experienced a defeat once, and he has continued to grow since that fight. I think he is a good fighter. But he tends to get too emotional when he fights.”
