Hiroki Akimoto Once Feared His Career Was Over, Now He Wants His ONE World Title Back
After Ilias Ennahachi beat him at ONE Friday Fights 81, Hiroki Akimoto had not won since 2022. One more defeat, he told himself, and it might be over.
Remarkably, the former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion now challenges Jonathan “The General” Haggerty for that same title in the main event of ONE SAMURAI 4 on Saturday, October 17, at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena.
Akimoto made history at ONE X as Japan’s first ONE Kickboxing World Champion, then lost the belt to Petchtanong Petchfergus in his first defense in 2022. A close unanimous decision loss to Wei Rui followed before the Ennahachi setback deepened the slide.
“Honestly, after that second loss – before the third – I remember thinking, if I lose the next one, it might be over,” Akimoto said.
“And then I lost again. It was really tough, but my family, my teammates, and the fans supported me, and somehow I was able to break out of that losing streak.”
The 33-year-old did not reinvent himself. He simply kept holding himself to the same exacting standard he set when he first arrived in ONE in 2019, training with purpose whether a fight was scheduled or not.
That consistency paid off with three straight wins over John “Hands of Stone” Lineker, Wei Rui, and Taimu Hisai, the last of them in front of a home crowd at ONE SAMURAI 1. Four years after first wrapping gold around his waist, he is back within reach of it on home soil.
The man who once wondered how long his career might last is now firmly entrenched among the division’s elite. His connection to this opportunity, though, runs deeper than the opponent standing across from him.
For Akimoto, the belt was never just a title. It was something he earned through countless brutal training sessions, and he has never stopped seeing it as his.
“If I had to describe that special feeling, it’s simply that this is my belt. I truly believe that. So no matter what, I’m going to take my belt back,” he said.
READ MORE: Yuki Yoza Faces Towering Puzzle On A Huge Night For Team Vasileus At ONE SAMURAI 4
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