Akihayama dodged John Reinker’s heavy-hit attack at 172 and returned to his victory column for the first time since March 2023.
In classic line car fashion, he is quickly putting pressure on his opponents and trying to deal a big knockout blow. However, it was Akimoto who used his length and elite kick game to keep the original One World champion at bay, and won the best of his impressive exchange.
The linecar came out swinging second, as he did in the first round, but it was again Akimoto who got the best exchange of rewarding. Towards the edge of the stanza, Akimoto connected with a nasty knee in the middle, which appeared to be placing a line car on the mat. However, judge Olivier Coste ruled it as a slip and allowed the fight to continue uninterrupted.
Both fighters increased their aggression in the third round, as the fight could be tied down, but once again the remote management of the pyroxene made a difference. We went to the scorecard as “Hands of Stone” failed to land his signature right hand.
Official Results: Akihabara def. John Lineker decided to split