Jonathan Haggerty To Defend ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing Title Against Hiroki Akimoto At ONE SAMURAI 4
ONE Championship has locked in a blockbuster showdown for ONE SAMURAI 4, as Jonathan “The General” Haggerty prepares to defend his ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title against Hiroki Akimoto, the man who once sat on the very throne the Englishman now occupies.
These two world-class strikers collide on Saturday, October 17, live from the iconic Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
Haggerty is widely regarded as one of the greatest pound-for-pound strikers on the planet. The London native, who trains under Team Underground and Knowlesy Academy, carries a career record of 24-5 and sits at 10-3 in the promotion.
He remains undefeated in kickboxing competition under the ONE banner. A former ONE Flyweight and Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion, “The General” added a third belt to his collection in November 2023.
The 29-year-old challenged ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade for the division’s vacant kickboxing belt at ONE Fight Night 16. Haggerty flatlined the Brazilian in the second round to become a two-sport ONE World Champion.
Since then, he has made the crown his own. In 2025, he turned back Chinese veteran Wei Rui for his first defense, then followed it up earlier this year at the inaugural ONE SAMURAI 1, outclassing Japanese veteran Yuki Yoza to retain the belt for a second time. Now, another Japanese challenger stands in his path.
The man across from him is one of the most dangerous and resurgent fighters in the bantamweight kickboxing division.
Akimoto is a 33-year-old Tokyo-based former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion with a 29-4 striking record and nine promotional victories, and his journey back to this shot has been one of the most compelling redemption arcs.
He earned his first crack at the gold by winning five of his first six promotional bouts before showcasing precision striking to claim the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Championship at ONE X in 2022. He subsequently dropped the belt and went through a difficult stretch, but 2025 proved to be the year everything came back together.
Victories over former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion John “Hands of Stone” Lineker and Wei underlined the quality of his rebuilt momentum, and a split-decision win over compatriot Taimu Hisai earlier this year confirmed him as the rightful next challenger for the title he once held.
With Haggerty’s unbeaten kickboxing run on the line against a former champion hungry to reclaim his throne, this title clash has all the makings of a striking classic.
