Following a decade of domination, Japanese kickboxing superstar Kana Morimoto has entered the illustrious ranks of ONE Championship.
Known to combat sports fans as KANA, the 32-year-old rose to prominence in her homeland, and she’s now ready to test her striking prowess against the best in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
KANA entered the professional realm in 2015 after a highly successful run in the amateur ranks, and it didn’t take her long to announce herself as one to watch. She won the Krush Flyweight Title on two occasions before deciding to take her talents to Japan’s most prestigious striking organization – K-1.
Her run of form continued in unstoppable fashion there, as she won the K-1 Women’s Flyweight Tournament in 2019 before ultimately claiming the weight bracket’s crown.
KANA then went on to triumphantly defend the gold on three occasions, cementing her status as a great of the sport.
Having achieved everything she wanted in K-1, she left the promotion in December and went looking for fresh endeavors. Enter, ONE Championship.
The Matsumaka machine, who boasts a 22-4 record, made it clear she wanted to compete in ONE, and she’s gone as far as to headhunt French-Algerian puncher Anissa Meksen for a showdown in the past.
KANA’s deal with ONE makes her the latest in an influx of Japanese kickboxing sensations, following Takeru Segawa’s arrival this past January and Masaaki Noiri in June.
No announcements have been made on when she will debut in the promotion. But with the ink dry on her contract, a contest with Meksen now certainly becomes highly likely.
