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ONE Championship is continuing to roll out dream matches in 2024, and one such encounter is the ONE 165 match between Yoshihiro Akiyama and Nieky Holzken.
The two combat sports legends will meet in a catchweight special rules match on Sunday, January 28, at Ariake Arena in Tokyo.
The fight will be a three-rounder affair, but each period will be fought under a separate ruleset. Round one will be boxing, round two will be Muay Thai, and round three will be MMA.
Such varying rulesets are enough to intrigue any fight fan. But when two absolute icons are pitted against each other, then this is downright epic.
With just three days away, Sportskeeda MMA’s ONE Championship team gave their unbiased predictions for the ONE 165 thriller between ‘Sexyama’ and ‘The Natural’.
ONE 165 is available live on pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.
James De Rozario: Nieky Holzken via TKO in R2
There's a variety of ways this first-of-its-kind contest can unfold when these two unload hell onto one another in 'The Land of the Rising Sun'. That said, I still believe Nieky Holzken will have it in him to leave the Japanese capital with his hand raised inside the Muay Thai frame.
Holzken's educated and speedy hands only spell trouble for 'Sexyama', and he should spray his punches from body to head throughout the opening round, contested under boxing rules.
Advantage will only be more on his side as the next three minutes unfold in Muay Thai, where he should be able to throw in some kicks to set up one of his classic hooks to the liver or uppercuts – weapons that he’s used to glory for most of his career.
With age catching up for the South Korean and Japanese legend, alongside his muscular physique, I expect him to be huffing and puffing as he sluggishly throws one or two to counter Holzken’s onslaught.
‘The Natural’ will read this like a textbook, and he will likely make the most of the slightest window of opportunity to go in for the kill.
Mike Murillo: Nieky Holzken by KO in R2
Battle of the OGs.
I’m going Holzken here as I see him bringing more to the table, particularly in the striking art, in their scheduled special-rules fight. This is not going the distance, with the Dutch fighter winning by knockout in the second round.
'Sexyama’s' power should not be discounted, though, and Holzken should be mindful of that lest he find himself being overwhelmed by the blows he could receive, much like what happened to Shinya Aoki when he faced off against the Japanese-Korean veteran some two years ago.
Barring that, Holzken will be a handful for 'Sexyama' at ONE 165 at this stage of their careers and get the win to halt a two-fight skid in ONE Championship.
Ted Razon: Nieky Holzken by TKO in R2
To say that this is an intriguing matchup would be a massive understatement.
Watching how the clash of styles between striking savant Nieky Holzken and MMA star Yoshihiro Akiyama will unravel is indeed as fun as it gets.
Given the special circumstances of this unique showdown, it’s obvious that Holzken should have the upper hand in the first two rounds, which will be contested under boxing and kickboxing rules, respectively.
Holzken has 94 career wins in striking-only affairs and has a multitude of weapons under his disposal.
While ‘Sexyama’ is a grappler by trade, ‘The Natural’ will be foolish to let his guard down in the striking portions. The Japanese-Korean star, after all, can also generate a ton of power with his strikes, as we’ve seen in his decorated MMA career.
Still, ‘Sexyama’s' best bet is to weather the early storm and reach the third round, where grappling is allowed. The decorated Judoka has seven wins coming by submission and could exploit Holzken’s inexperience in that area.
However, I see Holzken tagging ‘Sexyama’ early and often with punches in round one. The Dutch fighter should finish the job in his wheelhouse in round two under kickboxing rules.
Vince Richards: Nieky Holzken by KO in R2
ONE Championship has never been shy in showing the full capabilities of martial arts, and the special rules match between Nieky Holzken and Yoshihiro Akiyama is just one example.
The bout at ONE 165 is intriguing, to say the least, and the first two rounds are right under Holzken’s wheelhouse. Holzken isn’t just a legendary kickboxer, but he’s also a crafty pugilist with a professional boxing record of 14-1.
The Dutch legend will undoubtedly look for the knockout as fast as he can, and he’ll take full advantage of round one's boxing ruleset to just lay it all out against Akiyama.
Akiyama is no slouch on the striking department either, and he’s shown tremendous grit when absorbing punishment. Holzken, however, is just a different beast.
If Holzken doesn’t get the finish in the first round, then he’ll sure as hell try to claim it in the second.
The only way I see this fight going Akiyama’s way is if he survives the first two striking rounds and uses his immense grappling background to submit Holzken in the third.
That theory, however, doesn’t have much evidence to rely on.
