Wei Rui Vs. Hiroki Akimoto II Booked For ONE 173 Blockbuster Event In Japan
A pivotal bantamweight kickboxing rematch is on the books. Top-ranked contender Wei “Demon Blade” Rui will meet #4-ranked Hiroki Akimoto at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri, which will air live from Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, November 16.
The bout joins a stacked lineup that currently features four ONE World Title showdowns and several recognizable names from the world’s largest martial arts organization.
Wei and Akimoto’s second encounter comes a year and a half after their first electrifying showdown at ONE Fight Night 22 in May 2024, where Wei edged the former divisional king by unanimous decision in his much-anticipated promotional debut.
That victory pushed the Chinese star’s winning streak to 21 and quickly placed him among the division’s top contenders. He later challenged reigning ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Haggerty at ONE 171: Qatar in February 2025, but narrowly missed out on capturing the crown.
Now armed with renewed spirit, the former multiple-time K-1 Champion is determined to rebuild his case for another crack at gold, and he sees a second win over Akimoto as the key to doing just that.
Akimoto, however, plans to write his own script. The Japanese veteran is eager to even the score and remind global fans why he once ruled the division.
The Japanese standout built a five-fight winning streak in ONE, which he capped off with a dominant performance over Capitan Petchyindee to capture the bantamweight kickboxing throne at ONE X in 2022. But he lost his coveted belt in his first World Title defense against Petchtanong Petchfergus later that same year.
Following his loss to Wei, Akimoto dropped another close decision to former ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Ilias Ennahachi. He did, however, rebound earlier this year at ONE 172 in Japan, where he defeated former bantamweight MMA kingpin John “Hands Of Stone” Lineker in a back-and-forth kickboxing clash.
That gritty win reignited Akimoto’s campaign for World Title contention and reestablished his momentum on home soil.
With another bout set in Tokyo, Akimoto returns to familiar territory – this time with the chance to settle the score in front of a supportive home country crowd.
In a division packed with elite strikers, this sequel may serve as the fast track back to World Title conversation for whoever comes out on top.
