Masaaki Noiri: K’Festa 3, Epidemics, And Post Fighting Plans
Tweet
Masaaki Noiri is one of the most successful kickboxers on the planet. Having won the K-1 Under 22 Title, Krush Championship, the WBC Muay Thai Japan Super Lightweight title, the La Nuit De Champions, and the K-1 65 kilogram championship. He’s fought for K-1, Glory, and with WBC Muay Thai. With a 41-10 record, he’s been around the block.
With his vicious knees, Noiri has fought Minoru Kimura, the winner of K’Festa 3’s Grand Prix, Hideki Yamazaki, Mosab Amrani and a man named “Violence.” As of March, Noiri is ranked fourth in the world on the Combat Press featherweight rankings.
The Genesis Of a Kickboxer’s Career
Where did kickboxing start though? For Noiri it was with bullying. “Kickboxing started with bullying,” says Noiri. The reason it’s so addicting to Masaaki Noiri is the reliance upon yourself. “Kickboxing is a vocation and it’s all about yourself,” he says. He is correct. While fighters rely on their coaches, it ultimately comes down to the fighter in the ring to get the job done.
Outside of kickboxing, Masaaki Noiri has an entire other life. He spends his time, “[I enjoy] playing with my kids, eating delicious food, playing games.”
K-1 K’Festa 3
Masaaki Noiri fought David Meija at K-1 K’Festa 3. The fight went the distance and Noiri dominated the fight from bell to bell. Noiri was simply happy to have an opponent to compete with. He knows he cannot fight himself.
“I couldn’t fight myself, and the fight wouldn’t be very happy for fans. But the game is held because there is an opponent. So I’m very grateful to the other person.”
Fighting is one of the most raw and extreme sports someone can do. As mentioned earlier, part of the appeal to fighting is that it is all on the fighter’s shoulders at the end of the day. But that could be a downfall to the sport as well. With Masaaki Noiri being in so many high level fights, he said he has one method to keep his cool during a fight. “I always keep my mind calm and my heart hot.” You can tell in how he fights. Noiri is never rushed nor does he fight out of control. He’s calculated, calm and cool. This plays to his advantage even more being such a veteran in the sport as well.
Don’t count on Masaaki Noiri to switch it up to another kickboxing promotion permanently or to switch over to MMA. He says that K-1 is his home. “I grew up in K-1. There is no other than K-1.”
Masaaki Noiri On the Coronavirus
With COVID-19 sweeping the world and canceling events, many fighters have had difficulty in their training camps. Xiaonan Yan, for example, saw her fight move from China to Thailand and in the end to the United States. Noiri was fortunate enough to not be affected by the virus. “There was no effect from the virus. I could practice my gym as usual.”
K-1 was under a bit of scrutiny at K’Festa 3 for having fans in the stadium at their fight card. Many promotions have closed the doors to the public and held fights in empty arenas and some have cancelled entire events. But Noiri says with or without a crowd, he’s coming to fight and that there’s advantages to both.
“After all we wanted many people to see directly,” says Masaaki Noiri. “But even if there were no people in the stadium, I thought it would be nice to be able to give courage to the game because of this situation, and hope to be a little more energetic!”
What’s next?
As for what’s next, Noiri has the belt on his mind again. He’s tasted gold before and as a fighter, the ultimate goal is to prove you are the best in the world. He says, “[My goal is to] win a welterweight belt and win my second weight class.”
Eventually, Noiri’s fighting days will be done. On that day, he already has his plans laid out. “When you retire, you open your gym,” says Noiri. He is bound for success, too. Being as decorated as Masaaki Noiri is, students will flock to his school.
Masaaki Noiri will continue to fight. His journey is not yet complete. His career will be one to follow as he continues to compete and put in a great show for fans. Follow Masaaki Noiri on Instagram and Twitter to follow his journey.
先週の日本のファンの皆さん、聞いてくれてありがとう、K-1でファンを喜ばせてくれてありがとう。 読んでくれてありがとう。 おげんきで。
