ONE Championship is heading back to Japan in the new year, and a pair of blockbuster matchups are set for the monumental event. On January 28, the world’s largest martial arts organization will make its way to Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, for ONE 165. ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong revealed key details about the show in a press conference this week. 

Among the matches confirmed to go down is a kickboxing megafight between flyweight Muay Thai king Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Japanese superstar Takeru Segawa, as well as an MMA showdown that will see martial arts legend Shinya Aoki take on multiple-time karate World Champion Sage Northcutt. 

Rodtang is hungry for more

With over 300 fights to his name, Rodtang’s popularity has soared to incredible heights since joining ONE Championship in 2018. “The Iron Man” has reigned atop the flyweight Muay Thai ranks for years, and he remains unbeaten in the organization’s kickboxing ranks.

Most recently, however, Rodtang suffered his first defeat under all-striking rules in ONE when he dropped a razor-close decision loss to Superlek Kiatmoo9 in their monumental Muay Thai clash at ONE Friday Fights 34 this past September, so he’ll certainly be eager to get back to winning ways against Takeru.

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The Japanese superstar is already known as one of the world’s best kickboxers, and he joins ONE as the hottest free agent in the sport today. Takeru has a 42-3 professional record, with 25 victories coming by way of knockout, and he conquered three weight classes en route to claiming multiple K-1 World Championships. 

While the Superlek-Rodtang match broke viewership records in Thailand and trended globally, this battle between two generational talents could prove even more popular when it goes down on January 28. When announcing the second battle for the exciting card, Sityodtong said it felt like a legend versus a rising star affair. 

Aoki and Northcutt, a clash for the ages

On one hand, there is Aoki, who has established himself as a martial arts icon in a career that has spanned over two decades. “Tobikan Judan” owns 47 professional MMA wins and previously held the ONE Lightweight World Title. On the other hand, “Super” Sage is a star in his own right, but his rise was derailed following a nasty injury he suffered in his promotional debut at May 2019’s ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON.

“The Range Is So Diverse With the Best Guys in the World” – Sage Northcutt Says Fans Are Catching On to ONE Championship’s Exciting Shows

But he made a triumphant return at ONE Fight Night 10 this past May, needing less than 30 seconds to submit Ahmed Mujtaba in his first match in the lightweight ranks, and he now looks to become a legend. The pair have been calling each other out on social media for some time now, and they finally put pen to paper to square off in Tokyo.  More fights are expected to be announced soon to complete what is expected to be a huge fight card at the beginning of the new year. 

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