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ONE Championship returned to Japan with an action packed night of striking excellence as ONE Samurai 2 delivered highlight reel finishes, dramatic tournament bouts and memorable performances inside the EBARA WAVE Arena Ota in Tokyo.
The event centered around the ONE Samurai Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament quarterfinals, with the winner eventually earning a shot at reigning featherweight kickboxing world champion Superbon. By the end of the evening, Masaaki Noiri, Mohammad Siasarani and Luo Chao had booked their places in the semifinals, while several Japanese stars impressed across the kickboxing and MMA bouts.
Masaaki Noiri gets revenge with spectacular knockout
The ONE Samurai 2 headline attraction featured former ONE interim featherweight kickboxing champion Masaaki Noiri against China’s Liu Mengyang in a rematch nearly two years in the making.
Liu had defeated Noiri in their first meeting in December 2024, but the Japanese veteran produced a vastly different outcome this time. Both fighters wasted no time exchanging heavy punches and low kicks in the opening minutes, recreating the intensity of their first encounter. However, Noiri eventually found the opening he had been searching for.
A powerful right hand stunned Liu before Noiri followed with a crushing left hook that left the Chinese striker unable to recover. Another clean left hand sent Liu crashing to the canvas, ending the contest at 2:59 of the opening round.
The victory improved Noiri’s professional kickboxing record to 52 wins and 14 losses while extending another remarkable trend in his career. The Team Vasileus standout has now avenged every previous defeat he has suffered in kickboxing.
The emphatic finish also earned Noiri a US$100,000 performance bonus from ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong. More importantly, the victory moved him one step closer to another world title opportunity against Superbon.
Mohammad Siasarani produces another highlight finish
Iran’s Mohammad Siasarani continued his impressive rise with one of the quickest finishes of the night.
Facing Japanese striking star Kaito in another tournament quarterfinal, Siasarani patiently read his opponent’s movement before unleashing a perfectly timed head kick.
The left high kick landed flush, sending Kaito to the canvas and forcing the referee to stop the contest after just 1:27 of the opening round. It marked Siasarani’s second victory over Kaito and preserved his unbeaten kickboxing record under the ONE Championship banner.
The Team Mehdi Zatout representative also received a US$50,000 performance bonus and will now meet Noiri in one of the tournament semifinals.
Luo Chao survives difficult test
China’s Luo Chao completed the list of quarterfinal winners with a hard earned unanimous decision over Japanese Shoot Boxing champion Kosuke Takagi. The contest proved to be one of the most competitive fights of the tournament.
Luo dominated the opening round with aggressive boxing combinations before Takagi fought back strongly during the middle stages, using knees and body kicks to shift the momentum.
With the bout hanging in the balance entering the final round, Luo increased his output and landed a series of heavy punching combinations that convinced the judges.
The victory improved his professional record to 44 wins and 11 defeats.
Luo now advances to face former ONE world title challenger Marat Grigorian in the tournament semifinals after the Armenian secured his own quarterfinal victory at The Inner Circle 25 just one day earlier.
Japanese veterans shine on the undercard
Outside the tournament, several experienced Japanese fighters produced memorable performances.
Hiroki Kasahara earned a split decision victory over Ryuto Shiokawa in a closely contested featherweight kickboxing battle. The victory was particularly significant as it came in Kasahara’s 50th professional fight and improved his impressive record to 41 wins and nine losses.
Eighteen year old prospect Reiji continued building his reputation by defeating Shoma Okumura via unanimous decision. The talented striker displayed excellent movement and sharp counter striking throughout the contest to improve his professional record to 10 and 3.
Veteran Katsuki Kitano delivered one of the most dominant displays of the evening. After repeatedly punishing Ranma with devastating knees from the clinch, Kitano forced a third round stoppage at the 50 second mark. The victory marked his 26th career win and earned another US$50,000 performance bonus.
ONE Samurai 2 MMA contests add variety to the card
The ONE Samurai 2 event also featured several mixed martial arts contests.
Keito Yamakita submitted Koyuru Tanoue with a bulldog choke late in the opening round, while Subaru Mori secured a second round rear naked choke victory over Yusuke Sato.
The blend of elite kickboxing and MMA once again highlighted ONE Championship’s unique format, giving spectators multiple combat sports disciplines on the same event.
Tournament picture begins to take shape
The featherweight kickboxing tournament now promises two blockbuster semifinal matchups.
Noiri will face Siasarani after both secured spectacular first round knockouts, while Luo Chao advances to meet Marat Grigorian.
The tournament winner will receive a shot at Superbon, one of the most accomplished featherweight kickboxers in ONE Championship history.
With three knockout victories across the quarterfinals and multiple bonus winning performances, ONE Samurai 2 delivered exactly the type of action expected from Japan’s rich kickboxing tradition. As the tournament moves into its semifinal stage, the road to a world title opportunity has become even more compelling, with Noiri’s revenge fueled resurgence emerging as one of the biggest stories of the event.
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