Watch: ONE kickboxing bantamweight champion Hiroki Akimoto hits pads with Masato

Japanese kickboxers Hiroki Akimoto and Masato are training together. Akimoto is the current ONE bantamweight kickboxing champion, while Masato is a legend of the sport.

Both fighters posted on their respective Instagrams about the meeting.

Watch the video of them training together:

In the clip, one can see Masato holding pads for the young champion and giving him pointers and compliments as Akimoto strikes.

The bantamweight champion's Instagram caption reads (translated into English):

"Collaboration between ONE Kickboxing's first Japanese world champion and K-1's first Japanese champion!"

Coach and former MMA fighter Siyar Bahadurzada commented on the post, calling the two fighters "Japanese kickboxing's finest" and "the future and the ultimate legend."

Hiroki Akimoto won the championship by beating Capitan Petchyindee Academy in a classic at ONE X. He made sure to thank his coach in the post-fight interview:

"The coach was really persistent every day that I can become the champion... I believe in myself, my coach, and my teammate(s). Thank you so much."

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Hiroki Akimoto and Masato

Hiroki Akimoto is building a name for himself. To capture the ONE title, Akimoto had to go through one of the greatest fights in kickboxing history. At ONE X, he went to war with then-champion Capitan Petchyindee Academy of Thailand.

Akimoto complimented his opponent in the ONE X post-fight media scrum:

"He was so strong. He was so tough. By the third round, I felt like, ‘Can I go on?’ But now, here I am, I got the belt!... Kept pushing forward. My coach told me every day that I will be a champion. This is the day and this is the fruit of my hard work and training."

Masato is a certified legend of the sport. He was one of the biggest stars on the biggest stage during the golden age of kickboxing. He competed in the K-1 MAX Grand Prix against the likes of Andy Souwer, Buakaw, Mike Zambidis, 'Kid' Norifumi Yamamoto, Albert Kraus, Kozo Takeda, Genki Sudo, and Duane 'Bang' Ludwig.

Masato was a K-1 MAX Grand Prix world champion in 2008 and 2003. He was also a runner-up in 2007 and 2004, with losses to Buakaw and Andy Souwer, respectively.

The Japanese legend is now training with the next generation and passing his knowledge down.