"I want to take control of the pace and be dominant" - Hiroki Akimoto vows to close out Wei Rui clash with explosive performance

Hiroki Akimoto wants to make a big impact when he makes his long-awaited return to competition under the ONE Championship banner.

The Japanese kickboxing star is finally set to step back inside the ring at ONE Fight Night 22 when he steps inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Standing in his way for the comeback is promotional newcomer, Wei Rui, who will look to secure a huge win on his debut in ONE.

Akimoto isn't overlooking his opponent ahead of this comeback fight but has a plan to ensure he can tick both key boxers.

The former bantamweight kickboxing king told ONE Championship that he intends to put on a show for the fans before shutting up shop in the second half of the fight and doing what he does best:

"In the first half of the fight, we'll likely exchange kicks in an exciting way for the viewers. Then in the second half, I want to take control of the pace and be dominant at both kicking and close range."

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Hiroki Akimoto is ready to show his level once again

It has been so long since we last saw Hiroki Akimoto being active under the ONE Championship banner that some may have forgotten just how good he can be on his day.

His last fight was a loss to Petchtanong Petchfergus at ONE 163 where a split decision saw him lose the ONE bantamweight kickboxing world championship.

Hiroki Akimoto will now be hoping that by coming back with a big performance on May 3, he can look to put himself back in the mix to reclaim the title that was once his.

The belt currently belongs to Jonathan Haggerty, who the former champion is sure to have his sights on now that he is back moving in the right direction in ONE.

ONE Fight Night 22 will air live in U.S. primetime for North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription.