"I'm living the fight life" - Namiki Kawahara putting all focus on training ahead of his fight against Danial Williams

Namiki Kawahara has only one thing in mind heading into ONE 156: Eersel vs. Sadikovic, and that is to have the most impactful performance he’s ever had inside the Circle.

The Japanese fighter will take on Danial Williams in a strawweight match on April 22 which will be broadcast live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Kawahara moved to Sacramento, California to train with Team Alpha Male ahead of his matchup against Williams.

He said that he’s been living the fighter’s life in the United States and poured every bit of effort into sharpening his tools for his second fight with ONE Championship.

In an interview with South China Morning Post’s Tom Taylor, Kawahara said:

“I’m living the fight life. My life is fighting here. I moved here and everyone I concern myself with is in the industry. Everything I do since coming abroad has to do with my career, which is fighting.”

Kawahara made a subpar debut in ONE Championship when he lost to Lito Adiwang via second-round knockout in January 2021. He can erase that painful memory if he resoundingly beats Williams.

Speaking to Tom Taylor, Kawahara said:

“It’s hard work every day. They say hard work, easy pay. I’m surviving on a daily basis at Team Alpha Male and ever since my last fight the grind hasn’t stopped. I think in the next bout everything will show itself. I’m training to the best of my abilities there.”

Watch the full interview here:

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Namiki Kawahara ready to show what he’s capable of

Namiki Kawahara lost to Adiwang in his ONE Championship debut, but he walked out of the match with lessons learned and experiences remembered.

The Japanese strawweight contender took the fight against Adiwang on short notice, but he knew he gave it his all despite the short preparation.

“What I learned during the fight since it was on short notice, was that I was able to stand toe-to-toe with Lito Adiwang so that’s something that’s really important to me."

With valuable experience gained from a former ranked contender, Kawahara said he’s ready to show what he’s truly capable of against Williams:

“I think the people at ONE will finally be able to see who Namiki Kawahara is. Last fight I fought as hard as I could, but I think it’s this fight that’s going to show my true self.”