Former bantamweight kickboxing king Hiroki Akimoto plans to spoil the much-anticipated ONE debut of Chinese superstar “Demon Blade” Wei Rui. 

The pair is set to square off in a pivotal kickboxing clash on May 3 in U.S. Primetime at ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova on Prime Video, live from the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Hiroki Akimoto lays down his gameplan before his next fight

A veteran of eight thrilling battles in the world’s largest martial arts organization, Akimoto is well aware of the hype surrounding his decorated opponent, a former K-1 Kickboxing World Champion.

However, Akimoto is approaching “Demon Blade” like he would any other foe – with a clear gameplan and carefully considered strategy.

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He broke down his advantages and disadvantages against Wei:

“My opponent has good reach. He uses his arms and legs very skillfully, and his footwork is also good. 

“Since my opponent is skilled with both kicks and punches, I think it will be more of a long-range fight. The exchanges at that range should be interesting to watch.  

“I’m good at kicking too, and since my opponent excels at various kicks, that aspect should be a highlight.” 

Indeed, with Wei being a sanda stylist and Akimoto a karate expert, fans can expect a dynamic clash of elite kicking games in this contest.

Can Hiroki Akimoto shut out Wei Rui at ONE Fight Night 22?

The Japanese fighter admits that the two will likely trade kicks in the early going, but as the contest drags on, he expects to overwhelm the promotional newcomer with his trademark high-paced attack and pinpoint combinations.

While he’s not about to share the specifics of his strategy against “Demon Blade,” Akimoto explained how he expects the fight to play out and how he sees himself leaving Bangkok the victor.

He added: “I want to shut him out completely. That’s the main goal. There are a few key points I have in mind, so I want to execute those properly. If I let him take control, I’ll lose, so I need to do what I’ve practiced.  

“In the first half of the fight, we’ll likely exchange kicks in an exciting way for the viewers. Then in the second half, I want to take control of the pace and be dominant at both kicking and close range.”