Hiroba Minowa sits among the top fighters in ONE Championship’s stacked strawweight division, and the young star is ready to showcase why at ONE 159: De Ridder vs. Bigdash.

The #3-ranked athlete squares off with #2-ranked Bokang “Little Giant” Masunyane on the July 22 card, and the much-anticipated tussle will be an ideal opportunity for the 23-year-old to get back to winning ways against a challenging opponent – who he sees as an all-around threat.

“This fight will be a very competitive one – either standing or on the ground, it will be a very close game,” Minowa said.

“I think the one who slows down first will lose this match. I’m ready to fight for the full three rounds.”

In his last outing on the global stage, Minowa slipped to a decision loss against American upstart Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks. The match may not have gone his way that evening, but the STF athlete’s strengths were evident throughout.

Minowa has further sharpened those tools and improved his arsenal for his upcoming bout against Masunyane, and he believes he has an advantage over the South African star in a particular area.

“In general, I don’t have a specific background in other martial arts, but my MMA skills are better than others. I have better defensive skills. Also, I am a better grappler than him,” he said.

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While he is confident in his abilities to pick up a victory versus “Little Giant,” the Japanese star knows he would be unwise to underestimate his upcoming rival.

Hiroba Minowa believes Bokang Masunyane will have the power advantage at ONE 159

Masunyane has proved that he can take out opponents on the canvas and the feet, and his 8-1 resume speaks volumes for just how dangerous he is. The ever-realistic Minowa knows that there are certain parts of the fight game where his opponent will hold an advantage over him, but he sees them as quite similar overall.

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“[Masunyane] is an amazing athlete. He has the best physical ability. He has the best agility. Even if we Japanese train hard, we cannot achieve his level of agility. I’m so jealous. But I feel like we have something in common with a humble and tough mentality,” Minowa said.

“Bokang has good agility, but he relies on it too much. He should utilize that agility on top of MMA skills. I don’t have as much power or agility as Bokang, but I know how to win.”

The winner of this strawweight contest could position themselves as a favorite to challenge for the divisional gold at some point, though who will hold it by then is anyone’s guess. Brooks handed Minowa and Masunyane losses in their last outings in the Circle, and he’ll challenge reigning king Joshua Pacio next.

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Whether “The Monkey God” claims the strap remains to be seen, but come ONE 159, fans can expect the #2 and #3-ranked strawweights to throw everything at each other to prove they deserve a shot at the divisional throne.