ONE Championship adds four title fights to ONE 172 in Japan, including Tawanchai vs Noiri
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ONE Championship adds four title fights to ONE 172 in Japan, including Tawanchai vs Noiri

Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong confirms eight new matchups for blockbuster event at Saitama Super Arena on March 23

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ONE Championship adds four title fights to ONE 172 in Japan, including Tawanchai vs Noiri

ONE Championship added eight big matchups including four new title fights, to its blockbuster ONE 172 card in Japan, during a star-studded press conference on Friday.

Chief among the announcements was a fight between Tawanchai PK Saenchai and Masaaki Noiri, both fresh off victories at ONE 170 last week in Bangkok, for the ONE interim featherweight kickboxing title on March 23 at Saitama Super Arena.

ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong said the winner would face Superbon in a title unification bout. Featherweight champion Superbon was unable to compete on the card because he was knocked out by ONE featherweight Muay Thai champ Tawanchai last week, Chatri said.

Chatri also confirmed on Friday that the event would feature five world title fights in all.

A clash for the vacant bantamweight MMA title between former champ Adriano Moraes and Yuya Wakamatsu was already announced late last year, as was the headliner – a flyweight kickboxing super fight between Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Takeru Segawa.

Bolstering the card, former strawweight kickboxing champions Jonathan Di Bella and Sam-A Gaiyanghadao will face off for the interim title.

The bantamweight Muay Thai title unification bout between divisional king Superlek Kiatmookao and Nabil Anane, who became the interim champ with a stunning first-round TKO of Nico Carrillo at ONE 170, was also made official.

In a more surprising announcement, Chatri revealed ONE’s atomweight kickboxing champ Phetjeeja will defend her belt against Kana Morimoto – if the Japanese star beats Moa Carlsson at ONE Friday Fights 95 tonight in Bangkok.

ONE Championship adds four title fights to ONE 172 in Japan, including Tawanchai vs Noiri

Another kickboxing clash will see former featherweight title challenger Marat Grigorian take on Japanese star Kaito Ono – a champion with the KNOCK OUT and Shoot Boxing promotions.

Elsewhere, Japan’s Nadaka Yoshinari – a four-time Rajadamnern Stadium champion across three weight classes, and the current super flyweight champion – will make his ONE debut against Thailand’s Rak Erawan.

“The theme of ONE 172 is Japan versus the world – can it rise again to become the greatest [country of] martial artists?” Chatri said during a closing statement.

“Kickboxing was invented in Japan 60 years ago. MMA was invented in Japan 40 years ago. It’s almost coming full circle with ONE – the world’s largest martial arts organisation – coming back to Japan and showcasing the very best from Japan.

“This is just the beginning. You will see Japan rise again to the greatest heights with the brightest future in the history of the country.”

The fight announcements were streamed live during a broadcast of the press conference on U-NEXT, ONE’s official partner in Japan.

In other news, Chatri revealed Shinya Aoki’s lightweight MMA matchup against Eduard Folayang on ONE 172 would be “his last fight”. 

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