[PREVIEW] Masaaki Noiri vs. Liu Mengyang II | ONE SAMURAI 2

EVENT DETAILS

  • Date: August 8, 2026 (Saturday)
  • Location: EBARA WAVE Arena Ota, Tokyo, Japan
  • Event: ONE SAMURAI 2
  • Broadcast: U-NEXT (Japan)
  • Bout: ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament

FIGHTER DATA: MASAAKI NOIRI

  • Team/Gym: team VASILEUS (Japan)
  • Height: 175 cm (5'9")
  • Weight Class: Featherweight Kickboxing (-70.3 kg / 155 lbs)
  • ONE Record: 2 Wins, 3 Losses
  • Fight Style: Orthodox / elite Japanese kickboxing technician. A former interim ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion and two-division K-1 champion, Noiri combines tight guard pressure, precise boxing, heavy middle kicks, and disciplined ring control.
  • Notable Fights: Superbon, Tawanchai PK Saenchai, Liu Mengyang, Shakir Al-Tekreeti, Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong.

FIGHTER DATA: LIU MENGYANG

  • Alias: Spirit Dragon
  • Team/Gym: Shunyuan Fight Club (China)
  • Height: 183 cm (6'0")
  • Weight Class: Featherweight Kickboxing (-70.3 kg / 155 lbs)
  • ONE Record: 4 Wins, 1 Loss
  • Fight Style: Tall orthodox kickboxer with sharp counter timing, long-range weapons, and dangerous low kicks. Liu already owns a decision win over Noiri and later shocked the division by stopping Tawanchai in the first round.
  • Notable Fights: Masaaki Noiri, Tawanchai PK Saenchai, Shadow Mavinn, Mohammad Siasarani, Gabriel Pereira.

FIGHT BACKGROUND & HIGHLIGHTS

This is the most important fight on the ONE SAMURAI 2 card. Masaaki Noiri enters the tournament not only as one of Japan’s elite kickboxers, but as a man carrying the weight of unfinished business.

Liu Mengyang is not an unknown threat. He is the man who already beat Noiri once, dropping him with a counter right hand and taking a unanimous decision. Since then, Liu has only grown more dangerous, including a stunning first-round low-kick TKO over Tawanchai.

For Noiri, this is a revenge fight, a tournament fight, and a route back toward the top of the featherweight kickboxing division. For Liu, it is a chance to prove the first win was not an accident and to move one step closer to the world title picture.

The Breakdown

  • The Context: Noiri is chasing redemption after losing the first meeting. Liu is trying to go 2-0 against one of Japan’s most respected kickboxers.
  • The Matchup: Noiri’s structured pressure, guard discipline, and body attack will collide with Liu’s height, counter right hand, and long-range kicking game.
  • The Key Question: Can Noiri close distance without walking into the same counter that changed the first fight?
  • The Stakes: The winner moves forward in the ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament, with the ultimate prize being a path toward Superbon.

HAGAKURE ANGLE

Noiri’s greatness has always lived in structure. He is not a chaotic striker. He is a fighter who builds pressure through correct decisions: step, guard, jab, kick, angle, repeat.

Liu represents the danger that breaks structure. His length changes distance. His counter timing punishes forward motion. His confidence comes from something real: he has already solved Noiri once.

This fight is not about hype. It is about correction. A true martial artist does not simply return to the battlefield. He returns with answers.

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