Bokang “Little Giant” Masunyane and Hiroba Minowa are ready to throw down in a high-stakes strawweight MMA battle this weekend (SS Action and Variety 3, from 2am Saturday).
This exciting showdown at ONE Fight Night 9 on SuperSport features two of the division’s top-ranked contenders in a key match-up that’s sure to deliver intense action from the opening bell.
Both Masunyane and Minowa have world title aspirations, but to get there, they’ll have to get their hand raised at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Masunyane, who hails from Johannesburg, currently holds the No 2 spot in ONE’s strawweight MMA rankings, while Minowa is next on the list.
Only reigning ONE strawweight champion Jarred Brooks and the recently dethroned Joshua Pacio stand ahead of them, which means an emphatic victory could put them next in line for a shot at gold.
Masunyane and Minowa were both in peak form until they came up against Brooks for the first time. Minowa rode a six-fight winning streak into his bout with “The Monkey God” in January 2022, but that ended when the Japanese phenom lost a decision after three tough rounds.
Meanwhile, Masunyane owned a perfect 8-0 slate until Brooks snatched his zero with a first-round submission last April.
Neither man has fought since their scheduled battle fell through in July, so getting back to business and on the winning track is paramount.
Minowa has bounced back from defeat before, whereas this is new territory for the South African. This weekend, we’ll find out if that first loss has deflated Masunyane or made him even hungrier to reach his goals.
Both men are primarily grapplers – but with very different ways of employing their ground games.
Masunyane is explosive, utilising his power to throw his rivals around when he gets the chance and then stick to them like glue when they try to escape.
Minowa is more calculated, having less athleticism than his foe, but he uses great trips to get things to the canvas and expert control once getting there.
The battle for top position will be crucial, as that’s where the pair do their best work with high-volume ground-and-pound, although the Japanese athlete has more of a penchant for submissions.
With eight submission victories on his resume, the Japanese star is most potent in the grappling exchanges – and that’s where Masunyane came unstuck in his lone defeat to Brooks.
Still, with that being the only stoppage defeat among them, it’s clear they’re both durable athletes, so there’s every chance this could be a rip-roaring showdown that goes all the way.