We Speak Kickboxing

The General Stands Tall in Tokyo: Jonathan Haggerty Stops Hiroki Akimoto in Three to Keep the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing Crown

Published

1 week ago

October 17, 2026

Jonathan Haggerty is still the man at bantamweight. The Englishman retained his ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title in the main event of ONE Samurai 4 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo on Saturday, October 17, stopping former champion Hiroki Akimoto by TKO at 0:42 of round three.

Akimoto, who lost the belt in 2022 and won three straight fights to earn another shot at it, stood in front of the champion and traded. Haggerty dictated the first two rounds behind slick boxing, elusive footwork and blistering hand speed, while the challenger answered with occasional heavy power shots, including a left hook near the end of the opening round.

The ending came suddenly in the third. As Akimoto advanced, Haggerty intercepted him with a crushing left knee down the middle that sent the challenger to the canvas and broke his nose. Akimoto beat the count, but Haggerty swarmed with follow-up shots, and the challenger’s corner threw in the towel — the referee waved the fight off at 0:42 of the round.

It was the first professional defeat by stoppage of Akimoto’s career, and the third successful title defence for Haggerty, who first won the belt with a second-round knockout of Fabricio Andrade at ONE Fight Night 16 in November 2023. He later defended it by decision over Wei Rui at ONE 171 in Qatar in February 2025 and over Yuki Yoza at ONE Samurai 1. Haggerty also collected a US$100,000 performance bonus from ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.

The card’s co-main event delivered another title finish. Nadaka Yoshinari defended his ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title by TKO at 0:58 of round two, finishing Rifdean Masdor with a left head kick after dropping him with a left hook in round one — and Yoshinari matched Haggerty’s US$100,000 bonus. Elsewhere, Nabil Anane outpointed Yuki Yoza in a bantamweight kickboxing bout, and Sinsamut Klinmee knocked out Shintaro Matsukura with a head kick at 1:17 of round two.

We Speak Boxing

GLORY COLLISION 10: Mory Kromah Defends Heavyweight Title Against Antonio Plazibat on December 12

Published

4 days ago

October 22, 2026

Royal Jones

GLORY Heavyweight World Champion Mory Kromah defends his title against Antonio Plazibat at COLLISION 10 in Arnhem.

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.