Four Reasons to Watch ONE 165: Takeru vs. Superlek

This weekend, ONE Championship will return to Tokyo, Japan, to showcase the best talents in the world of martial arts once again. ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru, the promotion’s second show of the year, will go down inside the Ariake Arena on Sunday, January 28, and it promises to be a stellar spectacle.

The stacked card is topped with two World Title bouts and will also feature a number of high-stakes meetings, an innovative super-fight, and brawls that will bring some local heroes centerstage. While there are plenty of reasons not to miss the monumental event, here’s a breakdown of the most important ones.

Crowning The Best Kickboxer In The World

ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 stands as one of the most elite strikers on the planet. He has defeated his last eight opponents in ONE’s Muay Thai and kickboxing ranks with his last defeat coming in February, 2021 at ONE: FISTS OF FURY!

Superlek’s latest victory came at the expense of fellow Thai superstar Rodtang Jitmuangnon, in a clash that broke multiple viewership records last September. This Sunday, he puts his strap on the line when he welcomes Takeru Segawa to the world’s largest martial arts organization, and it just might be his biggest challenge yet.

The Japanese superstar is a known force in the kickboxing world, having claimed World Titles in three weight classes in his previous promotion. So, he knows how to get the job done.

A World Title matchup between the two striking savants was merely a dream for combat sports fans as late as last year. But with Takeru joining ONE in April of 2023, fans will now get to see who comes out on top. And the victor will leave as flyweight kickboxing king and, arguably, the best kickboxer in the world.

Rewind with a 2023 rematch

ONE has regularly featured submission grappling bouts in its events, and one fight last year stood out as the best the sport had to offer. At ONE Fight Night 11 in June, Kade Ruotolo defended the ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Championship against Tommy Langaker in a 10-minute showcase that was later crowned ONE’s 2023 submission grappling match of the year.

The pair’s match was fueled by an interaction at a competition away from ONE, and it had fans waiting impatiently to see what would go down. And they weren’t disappointed, with both men putting on a technical masterclass. Ruotolo may have won by decision, but there was certainly more to be said. With that in mind, ONE’s matchmakers thought it right to run it back in the ONE 165 co-main event.

There is an abundance of dust that needs to be settled in this rematch, and with Ruotolo still standing firm as World Champion and Langaker having recently won the IBJJF No-Gi World Championship, we will get to see the very best in submission grappling on display when they take to the ring.

Three-Round Super-Fight with Evolving Rule Sets

The world’s largest martial arts organization has never been shy about putting innovative matches together, and this latest version promises more of the same. Japanese icon Yoshihiro Akiyama will take on Dutch striking superstar Nieky Holzken in a special rules super-fight that will feature different rule sets in each of the three rounds.

In the first round, both men will use their heavy hands under boxing rules. In the second, they step into Holzken’s domain to compete in kickboxing. And if they reach the third and final round, they will compete in the sport where “Sexyama” became a global superstar –mixed martial arts.

On paper, the match already appears to be a blockbuster, but with both veterans of their respective sports fired up to put on a show, this one could easily take Fight of the Night.

Pivotal Lightweight MMA Battle: Sage Northcutt vs. Shinya Aoki at ONE 165

Sage Northcutt and Shinya Aoki are set to collide in a pivotal lightweight MMA battle this Sunday, and we might see a “passing of the torch” moment if the former’s plan goes accordingly.

Northcutt was sidelined for four years before he made a triumphant return to ONE last May at ONE Fight Night 10. He needed only 39 seconds to take care of business against the always-dangerous Ahmed Mujtaba and show the world he hadn’t lost a step. His opponent, Aoki, is nothing short of a force in MMA. He has been continuously active in ONE Championship for over a decade and has previously held the ONE Lightweight MMA World Championship.

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This one has been in the works for some time now, with both throwing harsh words at each other on social media, and it was evident just how hyped they are at a recent press conference for ONE 165 when “Tobikan Judan” refused to shake Northcutt’s hand. The jury is out on how their bout will go. But one thing is certain – nothing will be left in the ring they clash.

All the action from ONE 165 this Sunday, January 28, will be shown live on pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.

Read More: Confident Takeru Segawa Ready to Prove He’s the “Strongest in the World” Against Superlek at ONE 165