Masaaki Noiri Flattens Liu Mengyang With First-Round KO To Advance To ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament Semifinals
August 8, 2026 – Tokyo, Japan: ONE Championship (ONE) set the EBARA WAVE Arena Ota ablaze with ONE SAMURAI 2, delivering a blockbuster card that kept Japanese fans — and those tuning in around the globe — on the edge of their seats.
In the ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament quarterfinals, former ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Masaaki Noiri exacted sweet revenge in front of a roaring home crowd, delivering a spectacular first-round knockout over Chinese standout Liu “Spirit Dragon” Mengyang. The flawless victory not only earned Noiri a massive US$100,000 performance bonus but also secured his coveted spot in the tournament semifinals, where he will clash with Mohammad Siasarani, who was also victorious on the same night.
The highly anticipated rematch opened with tactical, high-level exchanges. While Liu initiated the action with teeps and body kicks, Noiri instantly established respect with a thudding calf kick that briefly buckled “Spirit Dragon.” Both strikers dug their heels in, trading short, stabbing kicks and heavy hooks behind tight guards.
Sensing his moment in the closing seconds of the opening frame, Noiri intensified his forward pressure. He detonated a clean left hand before threading another crisp left that sent Liu crashing face-first to the canvas. With the Chinese fighter unable to recover, the referee waved off the contest at the 2:59 mark, sending Noiri into an explosive ringside celebration with his teammate, kickboxing megastar Takeru “Natural Born usher” Segawa.
In the co-main event, Iranian standout Mohammad Siasarani delivered a shocking, highlight-reel knockout over young Japanese star Kaito in the opening round of their ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament quarterfinal clash. The spectacular finish earned Siasarani a well-deserved US$50,000 performance bonus, extended his impressive winning streak to five straight, and punched his ticket to the tournament semifinals.
Kaito initiated the action with a fast pace, working behind quick punch combinations early. However, Siasarani maintained a high, composed guard and seamlessly switched his stance to fire back with sharp counter combinations. The Iranian powerhouse systematically began breaking down Kaito’s defense, chopping away with low kicks before threading in precise left hooks to establish his rhythm.
Authoring a stunning ending, Siasarani went upstairs with a dangerous left head kick. While Kaito managed to block the initial strike, he had no answer for the devastating follow-up. Launching a second head kick in rapid succession, Siasarani caught the Japanese striker flush on the button. Kaito was out cold before he even hit the canvas, prompting referee Olivier Coste to immediately wave off the contest at the 1:27 mark of the first round.
ONE SAMURAI 2 Results:
Masaaki Noiri def. Liu Mengyang via KO (punches) at 2:59 of round one (kickboxing – featherweight)
Mohammad Siasarani def. Kaito via KO (head kick) at 1:27 of round one (kickboxing – featherweight)
Luo Chao def. Kosuke Takagi via unanimous decision (kickboxing – featherweight)
Keito Yamakita def. Koyuru Tanoue via submission (bulldog choke) at 4:37 of round one (MMA – strawweight)
Reiji def. Shoma Okumura via unanimous decision (kickboxing – strawweight)
Katsuki Kitano def. Ranma via KO (knees to the body) at 0: 50 of round three (kickboxing – bantamweight)
Subaru Mori def. Yusuke Sato via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:43 of round two (MMA – lightweight)
