“There’s a lot of knockout power in me right now” – Nieky Holzken says his striking weapons are locked and loaded for ONE 165

Nieky Holzken is ready to deliver a highlight-reel knockout in his special rules super fight with Yoshihiro ‘Sexyama’ Akiyama at ONE 165. The multi-time Glory kickboxing world champion steps into Ariake Arena in Tokyo for a showdown unlike any other in ONE history this Sunday, January 28.

‘The Natural’ will square off with 48-year-old MMA legend Yoshihiro Akiyama in a fight that will blend the worlds of boxing, Muay Thai, and mixed martial arts into one.

Speaking to members of the media at the ONE 165 press conference, Nieky Holzken hinted that an epic knockout could be coming our way and that he’s ready to deliver a memorable night of fights for fans in Japan and those watching around the world on global pay-per-view.

“I think there’s a lot of knockout power in me right now, I’m ready to rumble and I’m wishing all the fans a good show,” Holzken said.

‘The Natural’ will be looking to bounce back after suffering a unanimous decision loss against Arian Sadikovic in his last outing.

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The unique ruleset for Nieky Holzken vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama explained

Nieky Holzken and Yoshihiro Akiyama will meet at a 187.25-pound catchweight for their special rules super-fight this Sunday.

The first round will be boxing, where both fighters can win by way of knockout, TKO, or three knockdowns resulting in a mandatory TKO.

The second round will move to the art of eight limbs, where the rules to win are essentially the same — KO, TKO, or three knockdowns.

In the third round, if the fight makes it that far, will be where things get truly interesting.

The final three minutes will be contested under ONE’s global MMA rule set. This means that takedowns and grappling will be in play, as well as punches, knees, and elbows to the head of a grounded opponent are 100 percent legal.

All three rounds will be contested in four-ounce MMA gloves, and each round will last three minutes.

Who do you see coming out on top when two combat sports icons meet in this unprecedented format?

ONE 165 airs live on Sunday, January 28, via global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.