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Thai kickboxer Capitan to defend bantamweight world title against Hiroki Akimoto at ONE X
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(Courtesy of ONE Championship)
C
apitan Petchyindee, the ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion, will defend his title for the second time against second-ranked challenger Hiroki Akimoto at ONE X on March 26, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Capitan made a name for himself in 2020 when he knocked out Petchtanong Petchfergus with a stunning right cross in only six seconds. That earned him the nickname "One Punch Man", as well as the opportunity to compete for the title.
He then went on to win the ONE bantamweight kickboxing world championship in January 2021 with another knockout, this time against Alaverdi "Babyface Killer" Ramazanov. He defeated Ramazanov's mentor, Mehdi "Diamond Heart" Zatout, eight months later.
The Lumpinee Stadium Champion has had 15 wins in a row, excluding one draw, and has accomplished everything from becoming an IFMA world championship gold medalist to being a Thailand boxing champion. His renowned stand-up is nearly flawless and has served him well.
However, Capitan should not take Akimoto lightly. The challenger is a former WFKO kyokushin karate champion and current WBC Muay Thai Japan featherweight champion. Moreover, Akimoto has only lost once since starting his professional career – at one point maintaining a perfect 19-0 record.
Read also: “This fight is for you,” Gorobets fights for Ukraine at ONE: LIGHTS OUT
He has finally earned a shot at the title after four back-to-back victories including two against "Muay Thai Boy" Zhang Chenglong, "The Tank" Qiu Jianliang and Kenny Tse. His only loss has been to Joseph “The Hurricane” Lasiri at ONE: A NEW ERA in March 2019.
Akimoto has not looked back since that upset, winning decision after decision.
Having said that, Capitan’s Muay Thai and Akimoto’s karate backgrounds will be put to the test in this kickboxing bout. Only one will walk away with the belt this weekend, but not without a difficult battle.
🚨 BREAKING 🚨 Two of the greatest bantamweight strikers on the planet put their ONE World Titles on the line in the second portion of our STACKED 10-year anniversary show! 🏆🏆 #ONEX #ONELightsOut pic.twitter.com/vBnq0MFMPe
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) March 11, 2022
Watch ONE X on March 26 at watch.onefc.com and subscribe to ONE Championship on YouTube!
This article is published in collaboration with ONE Championship
