Three More Bouts Complete Stacked Lineup For ONE SAMURAI 3
ONE Championship has finalized the ONE SAMURAI 3 card with three exciting additions that bring the complete lineup into shape for a spectacular night of martial arts.
The blockbuster card will feature Seiichiro Ito meeting Kazusa Kurobe in strawweight MMA action, Asahi Shinagawa facing Tuakiao in a strawweight Muay Thai clash, and Aiji squaring off against Yuki Tanaka in a featherweight kickboxing contest.
The event takes place on Saturday, September 12, live from Yokohama Buntai in Yokohama, Japan.
Ito Targets First ONE Win Against Debutant Kurobe
The strawweight MMA contest between Ito and Kurobe adds a fascinating storyline to the card as the former Pancrase Flyweight Champion looks to claim his first ONE victory.
The 32-year-old Reversal Gym Yokohama Groundslam product carries an 18-5 career record into his sophomore promotional appearance, having made his ONE debut at the inaugural ONE SAMURAI 1 in April against the experienced Tatsumitsu “The Sweeper” Wada, a veteran who has shared the ring with MMA GOAT Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson.
Ito pushed Wada hard before falling short in a razor-close split decision, and the 32-year-old now returns to the ring determined to open his ONE account against a fellow Japanese fighter making his own promotional debut.
Kurobe is a 24-year-old from Tribe Tokyo MMA with a 7-2 career record who arrives at ONE SAMURAI 3 hungry to make an immediate impact on his first appearance under the ONE banner, and a victory over a seasoned warrior would be a statement debut.
Shinagawa Returns Home To Face Thai Debutant Tuakiao
The strawweight Muay Thai matchup brings one of the most exciting young Japanese strikers to action at a particularly meaningful venue. Shinagawa is a 24-year-old WBC Muay Thai World Champion from EIWA Sports Gym who calls Yokohama home, making ONE SAMURAI 3 a homecoming fight in the truest sense for the young Japanese striker.
His 35-12 career record with 26 finishes and three ONE wins underline a finishing instinct that has made him one of the most dangerous talents on the Japanese Muay Thai scene, and his most recent outing, a second-round TKO over Salvador Velazquez Villarello, confirmed the form and confidence he carries into September 12.
His opponent, Tuakiao, is a 29-year-old Thai fighter making his ONE debut looking to immediately establish himself against a striker who has been building his own reputation.
Both men arrive with something to prove, and the clash of a hometown hero against a hungry Japan-based Thai debutant makes for one of the most atmospheric contests on the entire card.
Aiji And Tanaka Clash In All-Japanese Kickboxing Debut Showdown
The featherweight kickboxing matchup rounds out the three new additions with an all-Japanese debut clash that adds a fresh and youthful energy to the ONE SAMURAI 3 card.
Aiji is a 20-year-old from Shinkoh Muaythai Gym with a 7-3 striking record who steps onto the global stage for the first time on September 12, looking to make an immediate impression in a division where his youth and ambition could carry him far.
He faces Tanaka, a 22-year-old from Target Shibuya with nine career victories who is equally eager to announce himself to the ONE Championship fan base in his own debut.
Two young Japanese fighters making their first promotional appearances in front of a home crowd adds an emotional charge to a matchup that promises to deliver the kind of all-out action that debut fights so often produce.
