WATCH: Masaaki Noiri becomes the first man to finish Tawanchai in ONE Championship

(From left) Tawanchai PK Saenchai was stunned by Masaaki Noiri in Saitama. [Image from ONE Championship]
(From left) Tawanchai PK Saenchai was stunned by Masaaki Noiri in Saitama. [Image from ONE Championship]

Masaaki Noiri delivered one of the most stunning moments in striking history in his last outing when the world's largest martial arts organization took to Japan for ONE172 this past March.

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The Team Vasileus star achieved the unthinkable by dropping and stopping the seemingly invincible Tawanchai PK Saenchai to claim the ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world title.

ONE Championship recently shared the clip on its official Instagram account (@onechampionship) with the caption:

"Don’t underestimate Masaaki Noiri 😤 Will the Japanese superstar unify the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Title against Superbon at ONE 173 in Tokyo? @noiri.masaaki"
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Check out the post below and swipe left to witness his highlight-reel moment inside the Saitama Super Arena:

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Before the Japanese warrior sent the fans inside the venue into pandemonium, the 32-year-old faced early adversity as Tawanchai unleashed his trademark push kicks through the opening two rounds.

The former two-division K-1 champion, however, stayed patient, using that time to study the ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion.

He emerged for the third round with renewed energy, taking the fight directly to the PK Saenchai Muaythaigym man with aggressive forward pressure.

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The defining moment came when the two-division K-1 champion connected with a devastating short left hook that sent Tawanchai crashing to the canvas.

Despite the Thai standout answering the eight-count, Noiri showed no mercy as he poured on relentless pressure to force the TKO stoppage at 1:55 of the third round.


Masaaki Noiri's stunner against Tawanchai earned him a shot at Superbon

The victory earned Masaaki Noiri the interim crown and a US$50,000 performance bonus while moving his record to 51-13 in one of the most significant upsets in recent memory.

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It set the Japanese fighter up for a world title unification bout against undisputed champion Superbon in the main event of ONE 173 on Sunday, November 16, inside Tokyo's Ariake Arena.

Experience the excitement firsthand by purchasing tickets here for ONE 173.

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

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Edited by Himakshu Vyas
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