Hiroba Minowa To Face Unbeaten Sanzhar Zakirov In Crucial Strawweight MMA Fight At ONE 168: Denver

An exciting MMA matchup between Hiroba Minowa and Sanzhar “Tornado” Zakirov will bolster the card for ONE’s North American return at ONE 168: Denver. 

The high-octane strawweight stars will face off in U.S. primetime on Friday, September 6, with Minowa putting his #4 ranking on the line in this pivotal clash at Ball Arena.

Minowa has operated solely among the division’s upper echelon since he entered the world’s largest martial arts organization in 2020. 

Every opponent has held a top-five ranking, and there have been two ONE Strawweight MMA World Champions among them. 

However, that led to a skid of three decision losses to current #1-ranked contender Jarred Brooks, #2-ranked Bokang Masunyane, and #3-ranked Gustavo Balart. 

Undeterred, the 24-year-old Japanese grappler knew he possessed the skills to beat the best and showed his resilience by bouncing back with a victory over Jeremy Miado at ONE Fight Night 23 earlier this month. 

Now looking to build a winning streak, Minowa will face another tough test in Zakirov. 

The rising star from Uzbekistan owns a perfect 10-0 MMA record with nine stoppages, proving to be a threat in every range.  

The 21-year-old picked up a trio of victories in ONE Friday Fights to earn this massive opportunity, with his TKO wins over Ryosuke Honda and Dave Bangguigui the biggest highlights.  

“Tornado” has a well-rounded skill set that he’ll look to implement against the wrestling-heavy Minowa, and he knows a win would take his career to the next level. 

Minowa won’t want to cede the ground he’s worked so hard to gain against a surging contender, but Zakirov has the momentum and confidence to shake things up in the biggest moment of his professional journey so far.

The matchup adds to a strong card for ONE’s return to the USA, which features superstars across the martial arts spectrum of MMA, Muay Thai, and submission grappling.