The big news! The opening bout of China's kickboxing sensation Wei Rui, who recently signed with ONE Championship, has been confirmed, and he will play on May 4 against former Japanese champion Hiroki Akimoto!
Akimoto defeated China's Qiu Jianliang in ONE Championship and has also won the Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title, and is currently ranked No. 1 in the ONE bantamweight division (in addition to the title). And Wei Rui just signed with ONE Championship and got the opportunity to face Akimoto Haogui, which can also be seen that ONE Championship attaches great importance and recognition to Wei Rui.
In addition, if Wei Rui defeats Akimoto Haogui, he will definitely take the top spot in the rankings, so it is logical to directly challenge the current champion in the second match.
At the same time, for Wei Rui, who has been playing less frequently in recent years, this is of course a huge challenge. Because ONE Championship is an unfamiliar arena for Wei Rui, and at the same time, whether Wei Rui can adapt to ONE Championship's special weighing rules in a short period of time is also a big test.
Wei Rui is arguably one of the best kickboxing players in China and the first Chinese player to win a K-1 title. He trained Liu Ce to win the K-1 16-man battle and the -90KG championship, and now Wei Rui's entry into ONE Championship after his success is even more challenging for himself.
This top-notch matchup between Chinese and Japanese kickboxing is sure to attract a lot of attention, but what is Wei Rui's current form, and will he be able to make a name for himself on the international stage again?