Hiroki Akimoto finally has the opportunity he's been craving since his defeat to Wei Rui at ONE Fight Night 22 last May, as the two bantamweight kickboxers prepare to settle their score at ONE 173.The fourth-ranked Japanese striker will face the top-ranked Chinese contender in their highly anticipated bantamweight kickboxing rematch inside Tokyo's Ariake Arena on Sunday, November 16."I'm really happy to be competing in the Japan event again, following my previous appearance. I've been calling for this rematch ever since our last fight, so I'm even more fired up now that it's finally happening," Hiroki Akimoto told ONE Championship.The 32-year-old's enthusiasm for the sequel stems from the disputed nature of their first encounter, where many observers felt the judges incorrectly awarded Wei Rui a unanimous decision victory.Akimoto, a former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion, fought toe-to-toe with 'Demon Blade' for three hard rounds inside Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium.The Japanese striker landed several rounds of punch-kick combinations on the former K-1 champion, who, for his part, did have a lot of Akimoto's attacks covered with superb ring control and counters throughout their nine-minute fight.Redemption couldn't come at a more perfect venue for Hiroki Akimoto, as he'll have his home crowd support to provide him the extra energy needed to secure a clear-cut victory. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostHiroki Akimoto knows he's in a high-stakes clash vs. Wei RuiWith fire to exact revenge, Hiroki Akimoto has cut no corners ahead of his return at ONE 173.The Japanese striker knows what this moment means to him, after all.Having put a stop to his three-match skid with a narrow split decision win over John Lineker in his last outing at ONE 172 in Saitama, the Evolve MMA athlete dreams of getting his hand raised and giving his Japanese fans an unforgettable performance."Winning this fight will allow me to once again prove my value. Just like last time, I'm honored to be fighting in Japan again. I’ll make sure to prepare thoroughly so I can deliver an even better performance than before," he told ONE.Experience the excitement firsthand by purchasing tickets here for ONE 173.