Pivotal Strawweight MMA Showdown Between Bokang Masunyane And Ryohei Kurosawa Added To ONE Fight Night 39

An all-action battle between the strawweight MMA division’s #3-ranked contender and an impenetrable Japanese force has been added to ONE Fight Night 39 on Prime Video on Friday, January 24.

There, Bokang “Little Giant” Masunyane returns to his natural domain to fend off Ryohei Kurosawa inside Bangkok, Thailand’s famed Lumpinee Stadium.

Masunyane, long celebrated for his blinding speed and explosive athleticism, compiled a strong 4-2 run in the 125-pound division – highlighted by his 37-second head-kick knockout of former ONE World Title challenger Rene Catalan.

A brief excursion to flyweight saw the South African showcase sharp improvements in his ground game against Sanzhar “Tornado” Zakirov. But after a gritty three-round battle, he lost on the scorecards.

Now regrouped and refocused, “Little Giant” drops back to strawweight and right into the path of a Japanese dynamo charging toward the rankings.

The 32-year-old Kurosawa carries a formidable 20-4 record and once ruled as the Pancrase Strawweight Champion. After riding a five-fight winning streak in his homeland with four finishes inside two rounds, he forced ONE Championship’s matchmakers to take notice and earned his invitation to ONE Friday Fights.

He seized the moment immediately. In his September outing at ONE Friday Fights 124, Kurosawa dominated Filipino standout Jayson Miralpez across three rounds, displaying crisp striking paired with sharp submission instincts to secure a unanimous decision win.

With the strawweight throne currently held by Joshua “The Passion” Pacio, this clash could reveal whether Kurosawa is a genuine threat to the crown, or if Masunyane can reaffirm his place among the division’s elite.

Stay tuned to onefc.com for more news about ONE Fight Night 39.