One Championship to Stage Akiyama vs. Holzken ‘Trinity Rules’ Match at ONE 165

One Championship is adding a bit of circus flair to its upcoming numbered event.

According to a release by ONE on Thursday, Yoshihiro Akiyama and Nieky Holzken will engage in an unusual battle on Jan. 28. At the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, the two will throw down in a mixed-rules affair under a ruleset titled “Trinity Rules.” This unorthodox type of bout was popularized by the Thailand-based league Full Metal Dojo and its series of "Fight Circus" cards, where combatants engage in three rounds of ever-changing action. In each round, they come together under a different discipline. The first round is exclusively boxing, the second muay thai and the third MMA. It is unclear if the 187-pound fight at ONE 165 will give the fighters three minutes or five minutes per round, but this exhibition will not go on anyone’s permanent record.

Akiyama (16-7, 2 NC MMA), 48, comes into this pairing on a winning streak, albeit one that took years to put together. The fighter known as “Sexyama” broke out of a rough patch by starching Sherif Mohamed in 2020, and returned two years later down a weight class to put Shinya Aoki away with strikes. During his off time in 2023, Akiyama appeared on multiple reality shows, including "Physical: 100," as a contestant, under his Korean name of Choo Sung-hoon. In that competition series, Akiyama was eliminated in the second-to-last stage, surpassing many younger athletes in the process.

Dutch kickboxer Holzken (94-17, 1 NC KB) will be eight years the junior of his foe, but he will not have the momentum going into the battle like Akiyama. Holzken has not had his hand raised since a stoppage of John Wayne Parr in 2021. A pair of losses slowed his momentum, as late replacement Sinsamut Klinmee knocked him out in 2022 and Arian Sadikovic took a decision against him in June 2023. For the latter appearance, Holzken missed weight by five pounds and gave 30% of his purse to his adversary after defeat.

ONE 165 will take place in Tokyo’s Ariake Arena on Jan. 28, with a headliner of Superlek Kiatmoo9 vs. Takeru Segawa for the 135-pound kickboxing title. Additionally, Kade Ruotolo will put his 170-pound submission grappling belt on the line when he faces Tommy Langaker. In MMA action on the main card, Shinya Aoki fights Sage Northcutt at 170 pounds, while 155-pounders Garry Tonon and Martin Nguyen toe the line.