ONE 173: “He is a very strong opponent” - Wei Rui not taking Hiroki Akimoto lightly ahead of ONE 173 rematch

After getting a taste of Hiroki Akimoto's world-class abilities, Chinese striker Wei 'Demon Blade' Rui has developed some appreciation for his Japanese counterpart.

These two elite tacticians displayed a scintillating striking display at ONE Fight Night 22 last year.

It was a truly brilliant display that could have gone either way. But once three rounds elapsed, Wei eked out a razor-close, unanimous decision win to open his ONE account on a triumphant note.

A rematch was certainly in order, and it's finally happening at ONE 173: Superbon vs Noiri on November 16.

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Ahead of this epic sequel inside Tokyo's Ariake Arena, Wei expressed respect for the former bantamweight kickboxing world champion and shared how honored he is to share the Circle with him for a second time.

The former K-1 World Champion told ONE Championship in his pre-event interview:

"He is a very strong opponent, and the last [fight] put a lot of pressure on me! After the last competition, we both got to know each other better. I think this [fight] will be more exciting and thrilling than the last one!"

Wei Rui is itching to return to the right track after seeing his 21-fight winning streak come to an end at the hands of reigning ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Jonathan Haggerty.

The No. 1-ranked contender knows another victory over Akimoto puts him right back in contention for 26 pounds of gold.

Wei Rui relishes second dance with Hiroki Akimoto

Wei Rui admitted he didn't leave unscathed after his too-close-for-comfort win over Hiroki Akimoto.

After all, no opponent has ever matched his lightning-fast strikes and his ring instincts before. With the rematch on the horizon, the Chinese contender is expecting an all-action affair that will top the first match.

'Demon Blade' told ONE: