Superbon vs. Noiri & Kane vs. Malykhin 2 set for ONE 173 in Tokyo

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Drew Beaupre | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 8:36 PM ET

(ONE Championship)

ONE Championship will officially return to Japan later this year with an event topped by two massive title bouts.

Earlier this year, Saitama Super Arena played host to ONE 172, which was stacked with several title fights and some of ONE Championship’s biggest names leading up to a kickboxing main event that saw Rodtang Jitmuangnon knock out Takeru Segawa in the opening round.

Following the massive success of that event, ONE Championship heads back to Japan on November 16 for ONE 173, which will take place at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena.

(ONE Championshi

Superbon vs. Noiri, Kane vs. Malykhin 2

The co-main event of ONE 172 saw Masaaki Noiri score a stunning upset against Tawanchai to claim the interim ONE Featherweight Kickboxing Championship, and in the ONE 173 main event Noiri will take on Superbon in a title unification bout.

(ONE Championship)

Currently in his second reign as ONE’s featherweight kickboxing champion, Superbon is coming off a failed bid to claim a second belt when he challenged Tawanchai for the featherweight Muay Thai title at ONE 170 and was stopped in the second round.

(ONE Championship)

ONE Championship gold will also be on the line in the ONE 173 co-main event, as Anatoly Malykhin will try to avenge his first loss when he takes on heavyweight MMA king Oumar “Reug Reug” Kane in an immediate rematch of their fight at ONE 169.

Malykhin made history at ONE 166 when he scored a second win over Reinier de Ridder and became a three-division MMA champion, but at ONE 169 “Reug Reug” took the heavyweight belt via split decision in a massive upset.

(ONE Championship)

The official announcement for ONE 173 and its accompanying title bouts came during a press conference at Tokyo’s Spiral Hall, and tickets for the event will go on sale to the general public starting at 10 a.m. JST on July 5.