We Speak Boxing
Jonathan Haggerty Stops Hiroki Akimoto in Third Round to Retain ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title
October 17, 2026 – Tokyo, Japan: ONE Championship (ONE) delivered an unforgettable night of action across four sports at Ariake Arena with ONE SAMURAI 4. The spectacle was highlighted by a pair of devastating finishes in the World Title double-header, with Jonathan Haggerty and Nadaka Yoshinari both securing jaw-dropping knockouts and US$100,000 performance bonuses from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
In the blockbuster main event, reigning ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Haggerty overcame early flashes of danger to score a scintillating TKO over former divisional kingpin Hiroki Akimoto.
Haggerty operated behind slick boxing, elusive footwork, and blistering hand speed to completely dictate the pace over the first two rounds. Akimoto stubbornly stood right in front of him, occasionally cracking the British fighter with heavy power shots.
In the third round, “The General” masterfully intercepted the advancing Akimoto with a crushing left knee right down the middle, sending the Japanese challenger crashing to the canvas. Sensing the finish, Haggerty immediately swarmed his damaged opponent with a ferocious, bout-ending flurry.
The ruthless assault prompted Akimoto’s corner to throw in the towel, forcing the referee to wave off the contest at the 0:42 mark. The dominant TKO victory cemented Haggerty’s status as the undisputed king of the bantamweight kickboxing division.
The win was the Londoner’s third successful defense of the title and kept him unbeaten in kickboxing. Afterward, Haggerty said his preferred next step is a return to Muay Thai, the sport in which he first became a ONE World Champion.
ONE SAMURAI 4 Results
Jonathan Haggerty def. Hiroki Akimoto via TKO (cornerman stoppage) at 0:42 of round three to defend the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title
Nadaka Yoshinari def. Rifdean Masdor via TKO at 0:58 of round two to defend the ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title
Masaaki Noiri def. Mohammad Siasarani via split decision (kickboxing – featherweight)
Nabil Anane def. Yuki Yoza via unanimous decision (kickboxing – bantamweight)
Itsuki Hirata def. Jihin Radzuan via unanimous decision (MMA – atomweight)
Sinsamut Klinmee def. Shintaro Matsukura via knockout (head kick) at 1:17 of round two (kickboxing – lightweight)
Kota Abe def. Shozo Isojima via TKO (punch) at 1:34 of round one (MMA – lightweight)
Shoma Okumura def. Toki Tamaru via unanimous decision (kickboxing – strawweight)
Ryoto Nishiyama def. Yu Takeuchi via knockout (right hook and ground & pound) at 0:58 of round one (MMA – flyweight)
Masaki Takeura def. Yoshinari Fukushima via submission (heel hook) at 5:13 of round one (submission grappling – lightweight)
We Speak Boxing
GLORY COLLISION 10: Mory Kromah Defends Heavyweight Title Against Antonio Plazibat on December 12
ARNHEM, Netherlands — The stage is officially set for one of the biggest heavyweight kickboxing fights of the year, as GLORY COLLISION 10 will feature reigning GLORY Heavyweight World Champion Mory Kromah defending his title against Croatian knockout artist Antonio Plazibat.
The championship showdown takes place Saturday, December 12, inside the iconic GelreDome, one of Europe’s premier stadium venues, promising a spectacular night of elite kickboxing action. The same card also features an eight-man Welterweight Grand Prix, where champion Chico Kwasi’s belt will be defended through the tournament, and a clash between Tarik Khbabez and Mohamed Touchassie.
Kromah (38-3-1, 25 KOs) enters his second heavyweight title defense after an unforgettable performance at GLORY COLLISION 9. The champion retained his crown in spectacular fashion by knocking out Milos Cvjeticanin with a devastating flying knee that quickly became one of the year’s most viral combat sports highlights — according to GLORY, the knockout generated more than 10 million views across the promotion’s social media platforms, helping establish Kromah as one of kickboxing’s fastest-rising global stars.
The rivalry needs no selling. At a promotional staredown in Rotterdam in September, the two men had to be separated in a scuffle that left a security guard on the canvas, and they were put in the same room again at the GLORY 110 fan zone in Antwerp this past weekend.
“Plazibat thinks he is coming to take my belt. He can think again,” Kromah said. “He already had his time in GLORY. This is a new era, the Mory Kromah era. When my knee connects to his chin, he will go to sleep and only dream of becoming GLORY champion.”
Plazibat (24-5, 17 KOs) secured his opportunity by delivering an emphatic knockout victory over Anis Bouzid at GLORY COLLISION 9, immediately solidifying himself as the division’s No. 1 contender. The Croatian powerhouse made his intentions perfectly clear.
“The plan is simple. I will smash his face and beat him down until he quits,” Plazibat said. “No more playing heavyweight for Mory Kromah. He does not know the world he is entering when he is in the ring with me.”
The heavyweight title Kromah holds was made famous by Rico Verhoeven, who ruled the division for a decade before leaving GLORY for the boxing ring — where he challenged Oleksandr Usyk for a world title in Egypt in May. Verhoeven is back in the headlines this week: the Dutchman says he has accepted an offer to box former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder on December 11, the night before COLLISION 10, though Wilder’s agreement and the final terms are not yet confirmed.
Tickets for GLORY COLLISION 10 are on sale now through GLORYKickboxing.com.
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