ONE Samurai 4 in Tokyo: Jonathan Haggerty stops Hiroki Akimoto

Jonathan Haggerty is still the ONE bantamweight kickboxing champion. On Saturday 17 October at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, the 29-year-old Englishman beat Japan's Hiroki Akimoto, a former holder of the belt, 42 seconds into the third round. Akimoto's corner threw in the towel after a knee dropped him and a flurry followed. It was Haggerty's third successful title defence. He remains unbeaten in kickboxing, moves to 25 wins and 5 losses across disciplines, and collects a 100,000 dollar performance bonus.

The fight was closer than the clock suggests. In the first round Akimoto landed hooks to the chin and shook Haggerty. In the second the Englishman drove his opponent into the cage with a flying knee, then took a superman punch that snapped his head back. In the third Haggerty pushed Akimoto onto the back foot with a right hand and sent the decisive knee through his guard. Akimoto beat the count but could not survive what came next.

Four years waiting for another shot

At 34, Akimoto was fighting in front of his home crowd. He lost the belt in 2022 and had won three in a row to earn this title fight. Haggerty, a former two-sport ONE champion in kickboxing and Muay Thai, tightens his grip on the division.

Nadaka retains, Anane beats Yoza

In the co-main event, Japan's Nadaka Yoshinari kept his ONE atomweight Muay Thai title by stopping Malaysia's Rifdean Masdor in the second round (0:58). In the featherweight kickboxing tournament, Masaaki Noiri reached the final with a split decision over Iran's Mohammad Siasarani, working with left hooks to the body and head.

Thailand's Nabil Anane beat Yuki Yoza by unanimous decision. He kept the Japanese fighter from getting inside with knees, punches and kicks, and enters the bantamweight kickboxing title picture, which means a possible fight with Haggerty. His compatriot Sinsamut Klinmee knocked out former K-1 champion Shintaro Matsukura in the second round (1:17) with a high kick that Matsukura blocked but still could not recover from before the count ended, on his ONE debut. Shoma Okumura outpointed former RISE champion Toki Tamaru.

In MMA, Itsuki Hirata beat Jihin Radzuan by unanimous decision, Kota Abe stopped Shozo Isojima in the first round and Ryoto Nishiyama knocked out Yu Takeuchi in 58 seconds.