https://www.scmp.com/rss/523112/feed The latest news and top stories on Masaaki Noiri, the interim ONE featherweight kickboxing champion. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai has said his pursuit of featherweight kickboxing gold was back on track as he prepared to headline ONE Friday Fights 137 against Chinese stand-out fighter Liu Mengyang on December 19. Already regarded as one of the finest Muay Thai fighters of his generation, Tawanchai’s ambitions stretch further. The Thai star has made no secret of his desire to add a kickboxing title to his collection, a goal that has proved more demanding than... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3336610/one-championship-tawanchai-aims-revive-title-bid-against-chinas-liu-mengyang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3336610/one-championship-tawanchai-aims-revive-title-bid-against-chinas-liu-mengyang?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 07:50:47 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw The highly anticipated flyweight Muay Thai world title fight between Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Nong-O Hama has been cancelled after Rodtang informed ONE Championship medical staff that he was unwell and was taken to hospital for treatment and evaluation. The promotion confirmed the news on Friday afternoon in Tokyo, ending hopes of a blockbuster showdown at ONE 173 on Sunday. The cancellation came shortly after a difficult weigh-in morning for both men. Nong-O failed hydration testing and was... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3332919/one-championship-rodtang-v-nong-o-title-fight-cancelled-after-ironman-hospitalised?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3332919/one-championship-rodtang-v-nong-o-title-fight-cancelled-after-ironman-hospitalised?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Nov 2025 08:20:41 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw Tokyo’s Ariake Arena will host a striking masterclass on Sunday when Thailand’s Superbon Singha Mawynn defends his ONE featherweight kickboxing world title against Japan’s Masaaki Noiri, the interim champion who stunned Tawanchai PK Saenchai earlier this year. The bout, which puts national pride on the line for both fighters, headlines ONE 173, a card stacked with elite strikers. Both men understand what is at stake: Superbon wants to cement his legacy as an all-time great, while Noiri aims to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3332765/one-championship-superbon-vows-defend-his-crown-masaaki-noiri-eyes-another-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3332765/one-championship-superbon-vows-defend-his-crown-masaaki-noiri-eyes-another-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 05:35:35 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw Kickboxer Nico Carrillo got married in June and is done waiting: after a career-defining move to featherweight and a knockout win over one of the sport’s icons, the Scot is desperate to stay active and keep stopping opponents as he pushes towards a ONE Championship title shot. Carrillo faces American Luke Lessei at ONE Fight Night 37 in Bangkok next month, and while he expects an entertaining contest, he is more focused on momentum and making a statement. “I’m just buzzing to be fighting again,”... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3328685/one-championship-wedding-done-next-list-kickboxer-nico-carrillo-title-shot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3328685/one-championship-wedding-done-next-list-kickboxer-nico-carrillo-title-shot?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Oct 2025 06:50:05 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw Rukiya Anpo has made his intentions crystal clear ahead of his ONE Championship debut: the Japanese kickboxing ace said Marat Grigorian was only the first obstacle in his path to compatriot Masaaki Noiri. “Marat is my stepping stone to the belt,” Anpo told the Post after the ONE 173 press conference in Tokyo. “When I met him backstage, I told him exactly why I came to ONE: to get revenge against Noiri. That’s my mission here.” Noiri, the interim featherweight kickboxing world champion, beat Anpo... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3326109/one-championship-rukiya-anpo-says-marat-grigorian-just-stepping-stone-old-foe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3326109/one-championship-rukiya-anpo-says-marat-grigorian-just-stepping-stone-old-foe?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 06:20:42 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw Denis Puric will step into the spotlight once again when he faces Japanese superstar Takeru Segawa at ONE 173 in Tokyo’s Ariake Arena on November 16, and the 40-year-old insisted he was more than prepared for the challenge. “I feel like I got another chance to go for the belt, at least in kickboxing,” Puric told the Post. “If I beat Takeru, I think it’s gonna be right there again. We put on a spectacle last time, so I’m just excited, man. I’m just excited to go in there and do what I do:... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3323529/one-championship-denis-puric-rely-power-against-japanese-superstar-takeru-segawa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3323529/one-championship-denis-puric-rely-power-against-japanese-superstar-takeru-segawa?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 11:32:54 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw Tawanchai PK Saenchai has admitted that defeat to Masaaki Noiri at ONE 172 has changed his outlook, and he is now a man on a mission. Tawanchai suffered a knockout loss to Noiri in Tokyo and was determined to use his next bout, against China’s Liu Mengyang at ONE Friday Fights 126 on September 26, as a springboard to redemption in kickboxing. The reigning ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion is widely regarded as one of the finest technicians of his generation in the art of eight limbs,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3323524/one-championship-tawanchai-pk-saenchai-use-liu-mengyang-bout-kickboxing-redemption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3323524/one-championship-tawanchai-pk-saenchai-use-liu-mengyang-bout-kickboxing-redemption?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 11:06:59 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw ONE Friday Fights 126 is one of the promotion’s tentpole events, stacked with elite talent and championship implications across multiple divisions. Featherweight Muay Thai king Tawanchai PK Saenchai steps into kickboxing against China’s Liu Mengyang as he looks to rebound from a loss to interim champion Masaaki Noiri. That result set up a unification bout with Superbon Singha Mawynn at ONE 173, adding extra intrigue to Friday’s clash. Bantamweight Muay Thai champion Nabil Anane is also on the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3323067/titles-not-significant-one-championship-cult-hero-seskan-wants-wow-fans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3323067/titles-not-significant-one-championship-cult-hero-seskan-wants-wow-fans?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Aug 2025 09:20:46 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw Superlek Kiatmoo9 has been persuaded to return to the ring and will face Yuki Yoza in a bantamweight kickboxing clash at ONE 173 on November 16. Earlier this month, the Muay Thai legend told the Post he was unlikely to fight again in 2025. However, after he was called out by Yoza on social media, Superlek took the opportunity to get back in the ring and will fight his Japanese opponent in Tokyo’s Ariake Arena. “You said you were giving me nightmares. But when I defeat you, it’s not a nightmare,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3320114/one-championship-superlek-lured-back-ring-fight-japanese-kickboxer-tokyo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3320114/one-championship-superlek-lured-back-ring-fight-japanese-kickboxer-tokyo?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jul 2025 07:16:22 +0000