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Thai legend Buakaw Banchamek thinks Masaaki Noiri does not need crazy power with his impeccable precision. After a rocky start to his ONE Championship run, Noiri scored the biggest win of his kickboxing career at ONE 172 in his native Japan, landing a third-round TKO over Tawanchai PK Saenchai to claim the ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world championship.
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It was a shocking turn of events as practically everyone favored Tawanchai to come out on top and become a two-sport titleholder. Looking back on Noiri's performance on his YouTube channel, Buakaw suggested that with the kind of precision striking that Noiri possesses, he can get by without skull-cracking power. Buakaw said:
"Noiri may not throw with crazy power, but every shot he throws is precise."
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Noiri has not yet booked his return to the Circle, but his win over Tawanchai has set the stage for a title unification clash with reigning ONE featherweight kickboxing world titleholder, Superbon.
Buakaw impressed with how Masaaki Noiri handled Tawanchai's most dangerous weapon at ONE 172
Offering some additional insight into Masaaki Noiri's show-stealing performance inside the iconic Saitama Super Arena, Buakaw praised the Japanese scrapper for never letting Tawanchai's nightmarish kicks dictate the pace and throw him off his game plan. Buakaw added:
"Noiri stayed close despite being on the end of Tawanchai’s kicks. It was a good tactic. He left no space, although he was in danger. A pretty solid tactic to be honest. He stayed in range, he looked for opportunities. He kept his guard up while chipping in with low kicks."
The victory moved Noiri to 2-2 under the ONE Championship banner. On paper, it's not the most impressive record, but back-to-back wins inside the Circle have put him one victory away from becoming an undisputed world champion.
If you missed any action, you can watch the full ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang replay on demand via watch.onefc.com.
