“I came here to fight Masaaki Noiri” - Rukiya Anpo fueled by vengeance ahead of ONE Championship debut

Japanese martial arts superstar ‘Demolition Man’ Rukiya Anpo came to ONE Championship, fueled by vengeance against a former adversary who now plies his trade in the world’s largest martial arts organization.

Anpo said that it was fellow Japanese star, ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world champion Masaaki Noiri, who was the last man to beat him in kickboxing. And now he’s come to ONE seeking a rematch.

Before he can get to Noiri, Anpo must get past Armenian icon Marat Grigorian, whom he meets in the Circle at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri later this year.

Anpo told ONE Championship:

"I told them, 'I came here to fight Masaaki Noiri.' Then they said, 'Fine, but first beat Grigorian. If you win against him, then we can talk about a title match.' So I immediately said, 'Then let's do Grigorian.'"

The Japanese veteran appears unfazed by the magnitude of his showdown with Grigorian, and instead is embracing the opportunity as proof of his readiness to compete among the global superstars in ONE.

ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri will go down live from the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan on Sunday, November 16.

---

Rukiya Anpo set on facing Marat Grigorian, no matter what

‘Demolition Man’ Rukiya Anpo knows that in order to achieve his goals in ONE Championship, he has to not only beat Marat Grigorian, but also dominate him at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri on November 16.

This means facing Grigorian, even if the Armenian comes in over the featherweight limit like he did in his last fight. Grigorian failed weight and hydration for a scheduled bout with Kaito Ono a few months ago, causing that fight to fall through at the 11th hour.

Anpo said:

"Personally, I'd fight no matter how many kilos he came in over. But of course, I'm not the only one preparing—my trainer and my team are all supporting me, so it's not just my decision. Still, in my mind, I'd take the fight regardless. That said, he shouldn't be missing weight in the first place."

Check back with Sportskeeda MMA for the latest on Rukiya Anpo’s ONE Championship debut.