In an emphatic result, despite being an underdog by a wide margin, Masaaki Noiri defied the odds and brutally finished the Thai kickboxing and Muay Thai star Tawanchai at ONE 172. Despite Noiri being outstruck in the first two rounds by the seemingly more well-rounded Tawanchai, who was throwing heavy leather and kicking the Japanese striker with thunderous kicks, Noiri could see and defend well but was still outstruck the first two rounds.
However, In the middle of the third round, Noiri would catch Tawanchai with a vicious counter left hook that would flatten him badly, with him barely answering the bell
Noiri would not let Tawanchai off the hook as he would brutally beat him down throughout the round, with Tawanchai badly hurt along the ropes and unable to escape Noiri, the referee would stop the fight to save Tawanchai. Earning Masaaki Noiri a standing TKO and the interim kickboxing featherweight strap.
Masaaki Noiri has a date with Superbon.
The interim champion has a date with the undisputed champion in Superbon, who is coming off a brutal loss to Tawanchai for the featherweight Muay Thai strap. Also, with Superbon historically struggling against aggressive power strikers such as Noiri, it seems that the fight would likely favor the interim champion whenever the two face off. Putting Masaaki Noiri in a fantastic position, having brutally finished one of the best strikers in ONE Championship.
And now slated to face what seems to be a favorable match-up against another of the promotion’s biggest stars, and this for the big one, the undisputed featherweight kickboxing title.
