Hiroki Akimoto is on a mission to recapture the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title, and he’s leaving no stone unturned in his pursuit. His journey began at ONE X in March 2022 when he secured the belt from Capitan Petchyindee. However, a split-decision loss to Petchtanong Petchfergus in November of the same year saw him lose the crown.
After seeking a rematch with Petchtanong, Akimoto’s chance to reclaim the title took an unexpected turn when the Thai star was stripped of the belt and banned for a year due to a positive drug test.
Left with an empty throne, ONE Championship arranged a match between Jonathan Haggerty and Fabricio Andrade to determine the next champion, leaving Akimoto out of the picture.
Disheartened but undeterred, Akimoto called out Haggerty as he won the title at ONE Fight Night 16 on Prime Video on November 3 with a second-round knockout.
Ranked #1, Akimoto is confident in his ability to defeat Haggerty and reclaim the crown. He believes that with his speed and powerful kicks, he can dominate the match and prove himself as the true champion.