By:  | December 18, 2023 8:06 pm

Japanese atomweights Itsuki Hirata and Ayaka Miura are set to collide at ONE 165. They have been matched together at the Ariake Arena on January 28th in a fight that is sure to provide plenty of local interest.

Miura (12-5) lost her last two fights at strawweight. That prompted the former title challenger to drop down a division and she enjoyed immediate success, submitting Meng Bo at ONE Fight Night 16.

Success has been in short supply for Hirata (6-2) recently. Her fight with Seo Hee Ham had to be rescheduled because she missed weight and when they did eventually meet at ONE Fight Night 8 the Korean won by decision.

Title contenders

In the strawweight division Keito Yamakita (8-0) has been matched with Bokang Masunyane (9-1). The undefeated Japanese star will feel he is just one win away from securing a title shot.

Gustavo Balart (11-4) probably has other ideas. The Cuban strawweight has won his last three and is entitled to believe he should be at the front of the queue if he can beat former champion Hiroba Minowa (13-4) in Tokyo.

The other fight added to the card today is in the flyweight division. Yuya Wakamatsu (16-6) rematches Danny Kingad (15-3), the two first fought in 2018 with the Filipino taking the win.

Kickboxing headliner

As previously announced Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Takeru will finally face off at ONE 165. The event is set for the Ariake Arena in Tokyo on January 28th and the two fighters will meet in a five round kickboxing bout.

There won’t be a title on the line but the fight looks set to headline ONE Championship’s first event in Japan since 2019. It will be Takeru’s first fight for the promotion and is a match that has been in the works for nearly a year.

Takeru is the former K-1 bantamweight, featherweight and super featherweight champion and was propelled to super stardom after a kickboxing bout with Tenshin Nasukawa last year. That broke box office records in Japan and even though he lost it instantly established the the 32 year old a household name.

Rodtang is the reigning ONE Championship flyweight champion. He is coming off his first defeat in a regular fight for the promotion, a decision loss to Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE Friday Fights 34.

ONE 165, Tokyo, January 28th
Kickboxing: Takeru vs. Rodtang Jitmuangnon (Flyweight)
Shinya Aoki vs. Sage Northcutt (Lightweight)
Hiroba Minowa vs. Gustavo Balart (Strawweight)
Bokang Masunyane vs. Keito Yamakita (Strawweight)
Itsuki Hirata vs. Ayaka Miura (Atomweight)
Yuya Wakamatsu vs. Danny Kingad (Flyweight)