Tokyo is getting a monumental World Title fight. ONE Championship has confirmed that reigning ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Haggerty will put his crown on the line against former titleholder Hiroki Akimoto at ONE SAMURAI 4 on Saturday, October 17.
The bout features a champion who has never tasted defeat in ONE kickboxing competition against a former king looking to reclaim the throne he once held.
Haggerty, 29, is one of the most decorated and feared strikers in ONE Championship history. The Team Underground and Knowlesy Academy product carries a 24-5 career record and a 10-3 ONE slate into the title defense, remaining undefeated across all of his ONE kickboxing appearances.
His journey to bantamweight kickboxing gold is the stuff of legend. After conquering Muay Thai gold in both the flyweight and bantamweight divisions, "The General" set his sights on a new challenge, stepping up to face then-ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion Fabricio Andrade for the division's vacant kickboxing title in 2023.
He ended the Brazilian's night in the second round with a devastating finish, becoming a two-sport ONE World Champion in the process. Since then, he has successfully defended his kickboxing crown against Wei Rui and Yuki Yoza, further cementing his status as one of the greatest pound-for-pound strikers on the planet.
Waiting to challenge him on home soil is a former champion with a point to prove. Akimoto, 33, boasts a 29-4 striking record and nine ONE wins into the title shot. His path to this moment has been defined by resilience and reinvention.
After winning five of his first six bouts in the promotion, he earned a title shot at ONE X in 2022, where his precision striking dismantled Capitan to claim the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Championship.
A difficult period followed as the title slipped from his grasp, but 2025 was the year the Japanese veteran turned his fortunes around.
Victories over former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion John Lineker and Wei Rui showcased that Akimoto was back to his best, and a split-decision win over compatriot Taimu Hisai earlier this year confirmed his place as the division's most credible challenger.
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