Hiroyuki Tetsuka believes he’s ready for a World Title shot in ONE Championship, and he wants to prove it in his next outing. The ‘Japanese Beast’ has an amazing record of 14 victories and 4 losses. His upcoming fight might prove to be a title reign for him and that’s what Tetsuka is planning to do.

On Friday, September 6, at ONE 168: Denver, “Japanese Beast” will return to action opposite Tongan-Australian Isi “Doxz” Fitikefu in a pivotal welterweight MMA bout at ONE 168: Denver inside Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. The event marks the organization’s return to the United States, and it’s set to be a thriller.

Hiroyuki Tetsuka’s path to ONE welterweight title contention

Tetsuka is on a massive five-fight win streak in ONE, with each coming by way of finish. In his latest performance at ONE Fight Night 21 this past April, he beat Valmir Da Silva at his own game when he forced the Brazilian fighter to tap out in the second round.

Following the victory, the Japanese star called out two-division king Christian “The Warrior” Lee, challenging him to put the ONE Welterweight MMA World Title on the line.

In a recent interview with ONE, Tetsuka discussed his upcoming match and shared his thoughts on what a win would mean for his World Title aspirations. “I want to finish the fight, whether by striking or grappling, and extend my finishing streak to six. I want to demonstrate that there are no more opponents for me and connect this to a title shot against Lee,” Tetsuka said.

If the Yamada Dojo-TGFC representative can continue his dominant run of form and produce another highlight-reel finish against Fitikefu, he could easily vault himself to favorite to challenge for the division’s top prize.

Upcoming challenges in the ONE Championship welterweight division

However, a tussle with welterweight king Lee may not be in the immediate future, as it was recently announced that he will return to defend the ONE Lightweight MMA World Title against undefeated star Alibeg Rasulov at ONE 169: Atlanta on Friday, November 8.

And before he can even think about a meeting with “The Warrior,” Hiroyuki Tetsuka must first overcome Fitikefu at ONE 168. A former rugby player, “Doxz” is a well-rounded fighter, who amassed expertise in BJJ, boxing, and kickboxing before embracing the all-encompassing sport of mixed martial arts.

Snapping “Japanese Beast’s” dominant string of wins could instantly put the Tongan-Australian star into the World Title conversation. So, fans should expect both fighters to come out hungry and look for an impressive finish when they square off in Denver this September.