South African strawweight Bokang Masunyane sees his upcoming bout against Ryohei Kurosawa as the first step in rekindling his quest for ONE Strawweight MMA World Championship gold.
The "Little Giant" meets the Japanese fighter on 24 January at ONE Fight Night 39 from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, determined to return to winning form and position himself for the title opportunity.
Masunyane doesn't hide his championship ambitions or his desire to face reigning titleholder Joshua Pacio sooner rather than later.
"I would like to fight Joshua Pacio even tomorrow if I had to. I've been unlucky not to get that shot, but now I'm building myself right back up to get that title shot. I'm fighting a very good fighter next, so that opens up the conversation," the South African contender explained.
With a 10-3 career MMA record and four promotional victories, Masunyane has established himself as a legitimate threat in the strawweight division.
His history includes three victories over Japanese opponents, giving him confidence heading into this matchup with another fighter from Japan.
The 32-year-old Kurosawa presents a significant challenge with his 20-4 career record and momentum from a successful promotional debut in September 2025, when he earned a unanimous decision over Philippines' Jayson Miralpez.
While focused on climbing back into title contention, Masunyane holds the champion he hopes to face in high regard.
"I like Pacio. He's got a very good personality, he's got a good heart, he's a fan's favorite in the division. I feel like with the mutual respect that Joshua gives back when he fights, he gives everything, and I feel like it's the same with me," Masunyane said.
The South African believes a showdown with the 29-year-old Filipino champion would produce the kind of explosive action that defines memorable title fights.
"To be honest, that's the fight to have. Fighting for the title, two explosive fighters with their best styles against each other, I think it would create something special," he stated.
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