Liu Mengyang Has A Blunt Message For Masaaki Noiri: Time Is Up
Liu Mengyang does not do quiet confidence. He does the loud kind, delivered directly at the man standing across from him.
“Spirit Dragon” rematches former ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Masaaki Noiri in the quarterfinals of the ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament at ONE SAMURAI 2, broadcasting live from Tokyo’s EBARA WAVE Arena Ota on Saturday, August 8. Liu already beat Noiri once, in December 2024, and he insists the gap between them has only widened since.
“I don’t see any real threats from him in the rematch at all, and I will fight with total ease and control inside the cage,” he said.
“My greatest strengths are my unbreakable willpower and relentless fighting spirit, paired with the hyper-specific game plans my coach designs for every opponent. That will carry me to victory in this kickboxing tournament.”
At 23, Liu frames the matchup as a simple case of timing, insisting his rise and Noiri’s decline are moving in opposite directions at the worst possible moment for the Japanese veteran.
“I will surpass Masaaki Noiri in every single one of these categories. Father time is catching up to him, and he has very few prime competitive years left. I’m still young and in my athletic prime. That World Title belt will belong to me, Liu Mengyang, sooner or later,” he said.
Liu’s assessment of Noiri as a fighter is just as pointed. Having already shared the ring with him, he describes a one-dimensional opponent with a limited toolkit and no real answer for adjustments.
“After sharing the cage with Masaaki Noiri, I can say his fighting style is extremely one-dimensional. He’s good at seizing openings and timing his strikes well, but his overall game plan is still very one-dimensional in my opinion,” he said.
He saved his sharpest words for a direct message to his rival ahead of their second meeting in front of a hostile Tokyo crowd.
“Masaaki Noiri: If you get KO’d again this time, don’t claim you just let your guard down. It’s simply because you’re past your prime, and it’s time for you to retire.”
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