Masaaki Noiri Advances to Semifinals with Devastating First-Round KO at ONE SAMURAI 2

Tokyo, Japan – August 8, 2026 – ONE Championship's ONE SAMURAI 2 event, held at the EBARA WAVE Arena Ota, witnessed a dominant performance from former ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Masaaki Noiri. In a highly anticipated featherweight kickboxing tournament quarterfinal, Noiri avenged a previous loss to China's Liu “Spirit Dragon” Mengyang, securing a spectacular first-round knockout victory in front of a fervent home crowd. This decisive win not only earned Noiri a substantial US$100,000 performance bonus but also propelled him into the tournament semifinals, where he is set to face Mohammad Siasarani.

The rematch began with a tactical display of high-level striking. Liu initiated exchanges with push kicks and body kicks, but Noiri quickly asserted his dominance with a powerful calf kick that momentarily staggered “Spirit Dragon.” Both fighters engaged in close-range exchanges, trading short kicks and heavy punches while maintaining tight defensive guards.

As the opening round neared its end, Noiri intensified his offensive pressure. He landed a clean left hand, followed by another crisp left punch that sent Liu crashing to the canvas. Unable to recover, Liu was counted out by the referee at the 2:59 mark of the first round, igniting an explosive celebration for Noiri alongside his teammate, kickboxing star Takeru Segawa.

In the co-main event, Iranian contender Mohammad Siasarani also secured a place in the semifinals with a highlight-reel knockout against rising Japanese star Kaito. Siasarani's impressive victory earned him a US$50,000 bonus and extended his winning streak to five consecutive fights.

Kaito started the bout aggressively, utilizing quick punch combinations. However, Siasarani maintained a composed defense and effectively countered with sharp combinations, systematically breaking down Kaito's defenses with low kicks and precise left hooks to establish his rhythm.

Siasarani sealed the victory with a devastating left head kick. Although Kaito initially blocked the strike, he was unable to defend against the rapid follow-up. The second head kick landed flush, knocking Kaito unconscious before he even hit the mat. Referee Olivier Coste immediately stopped the contest at 1:27 of the first round.

Key Results from ONE SAMURAI 2:

• Masaaki Noiri def. Liu Mengyang via KO (punches) at 2:59 of Round 1 (Featherweight Kickboxing)
• Mohammad Siasarani def. Kaito via KO (head kick) at 1:27 of Round 1 (Featherweight Kickboxing)
• Luo Chao def. Kosuke Takagi via unanimous decision (Featherweight Kickboxing)
• Keito Yamakita def. Koyuru Tanoue via submission (bulldog choke) at 4:37 of Round 1 (Strawweight MMA)
• Reiji def. Shoma Okumura via unanimous decision (Strawweight Kickboxing)
• Katsuki Kitano def. Ranma via KO (knees to the body) at 0:50 of Round 3 (Bantamweight Kickboxing)
• Subaru Mori def. Yusuke Sato via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:43 of Round 2 (Lightweight MMA)