January 21, 2026

On Sunday, February 8, K-1 will host the K-1 WORLD GP 2026 -90kg World’s Strongest Tournament. On the same card, the K-1 WORLD GP Super Bantamweight Title Match will see reigning champion Akihiro Kaneko defend his belt against Ruuya Okubo (K-1 Gym Wolf TEAM ASTER), who spoke with K-1 in this interview.

In 2024, Okubo reached the finals of the -55kg World’s Strongest Tournament, scoring a decision win over Masashi Kumura in the semifinals before being knocked out by Kaneko in the final. After rebounding with a decision win over Riamu in December that year, he went on to score three consecutive KO victories in 2025 over Koshiro Takemi, Shion, and Wu Yutong. This will be Okubo’s long-awaited shot at revenge.

Kaneko, on the other hand, captured the 2024 K-1 -55kg World’s Strongest Tournament title by defeating Kan Menghong, Riamu, and Okubo. In his most recent outing, he successfully defended his Super Bantamweight crown against Koji Ikeda in September, avenging a previous loss and retaining his belt.

Interview:

—This upcoming title match against Kaneko is something you’ve been calling for. Compared to past press conferences, there seemed to be more intensity this time.

Okubo: “This fight is both a chance to avenge my loss to Kaneko and a title challenge, so naturally I’m fired up. I’m not thinking about giving soundbites or anything like that.”

—So your intensity is just coming out naturally.

Okubo: “Yeah, exactly. It’s not something I’m forcing—it’s just happening.”

—Is that because your opponent is Kaneko?

Okubo: “The title match is obviously a huge deal, but Kaneko is the only opponent I feel I truly lost to in the past. That’s a big part of it.”

—So no trash talk needed.

Okubo: “Right. That’s not needed. I just want to put everything I’ve done into this fight, and I hope the fans can see that.”

—At the press conference, you described this as the culmination of your journey since starting martial arts at age six. You’re throwing everything you’ve got at Kaneko.

Okubo: “Yes, that feeling just keeps growing.”

—What were you thinking while standing next to Kaneko at the press conference?

Okubo: “In a good way, I felt incredibly calm. Of course, I had that ‘I’m going to beat him’ mindset, but even in that, I was strangely composed.”

—You felt composed?

Okubo: “Exactly. Lately I’ve been more emotionally intense, but there’s still this calm side of me.”

—You’re usually smiling at press conferences, but this time your expression was stern.

Okubo: “Yeah, I wasn’t joking around at all.”

—Standing across from Kaneko makes you naturally straighten your spine. How does this fight feel different from the last one, which was the tournament final?

Okubo: “To be honest, the last time I had just moved up to the 55kg division, and even though I aimed to win, I mostly just hoped I could get past Kumura in the first round.”

—So you put all your energy into the first fight.

Okubo: “Looking back, I think a part of me was okay with losing to Kaneko in the final. That weakness cost me—I lost mentally before the fight even began.”

—So that KO loss is not really a good reference point.

Okubo: “At that time, I wasn’t ready to be champion. And with that kind of mindset, I think it was better that I didn’t win.”

—When you think about it that much.

Okubo: “Yeah. Now I feel really focused—in the best possible way.”

—What did you think of Kaneko’s title defense against Ikeda?

Okubo: “Ikeda had already beaten Kaneko once, and in Round 1 he looked sharp. I’m sure he thought he could do it again. But then Kaneko turned the tables.”

—So it was a come-from-behind defeat.

Okubo: “They were exchanging, and Kaneko landed a shot. It’s a risk—you can get the KO, but you can also get knocked out. You can’t call it ‘luck’ in fighting, but that shot landed because Kaneko has the pride of a champion. That’s what I felt.”

—Sounds like your own resolve is going to be tested in this one.

Okubo: “I’ve got a solid idea of how I want to fight now. I’m preparing thoroughly to handle any situation in the ring. I want to be a fighter with no gaps—and get the KO, no matter what.”

—So you’re aiming for the KO.

Okubo: “Absolutely. I’m not thinking about winning by decision. I want to end it with a KO.”

—That’s serious commitment.

Okubo: “I don’t know why, but I’m fired up like never before. I just have this strong urge to knock him out.”

—Kaneko is known for having a strong chin. Isn’t that a bit dangerous if you get into a slugfest?

Okubo: “Not worried at all. I’ll knock him out.”

—Is that just pre-fight hype?

Okubo: “It’s not hype. I’m dead serious. I will knock him out. I absolutely will.”

—You’ve scored three straight KO wins recently, so it seems like your confidence has grown.

Okubo: “Yeah, my awareness has changed a lot over the past year. With punches, I feel like I’m moving in a way that generates more power. Even with body kicks—there are so many different ways to throw them. It’s deep. Lately, I’ve just been having so much fun with martial arts, even in training.”

—That sounds like a sign of rapid growth.

Okubo: “I’ve had close to 200 amateur fights, but I never noticed any of that back then. Since turning pro, I’ve started to really feel it. I’ve grown a lot since becoming a pro.”

—You really enjoy martial arts now.

Okubo: “I’m having a blast. At first, I had zero KOs and kept getting bashed for not finishing fights. But looking back, I might have been enjoying even that, in some weird way.”

—You’ve got a lot of female fans, and being young comes with temptations. You seem very disciplined.

Okubo: “There are a lot of temptations—food, people inviting me out. Guys my age definitely want to go out and meet girls. And yeah, when I get invited, I sometimes think about going. But if I don’t say no to that stuff, I can’t win fights. The ring doesn’t lie. If I go out now, I know I’ll regret it.”

—So this isn’t the time to be going to dessert buffets with Lyra Nagasaka.

Okubo: “No, I might still go to that. (laughs)”

—Wait, what?

Okubo: “Well, I mean, maybe as part of work. I seriously want to tell him, ‘Why’d you lose the other day?’ But yeah, I’m half-joking.”

—What do you want fans to see in this title fight?

Okubo: “Of course, I want to win by KO—but more than that, I want to show my spirit. I want people to see how badly I want this belt. Even if I get knocked down, I’ll fight with everything I have to win.”