5 fast facts about Japanese Muay Thai star Shinji Suzuki

Shinji Suzuki [ONE CHAMPIONSHIP] At ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug, Japanese striking ace Shinji Suzuki will look to make it two straight wins when he faces British-Canadian phenom Jake “The One” Peacock in a bantamweight Muay Thai contest. Related Article‘I want to set an example’ — MMA superstar Adriano Moraes finds new motivation after birth of daughter‘He’s still the same’ — Rodtang expects to overwhelm Jacob Smith once again in rematch at ONE 169‘It’s all about cherishing every moment’ — Danny Kingad motivated by memory of late mother ahead of ONE 169 That matchup is set to air live in U.S. primetime on Nov. 8 from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium and will be another chance for Suzuki to make his mark on the global stage. After suffering a defeat to Suablack Tor Pran49 in his debut at ONE Friday Fights 32, the 38-year-old returned to top form this past March at ONE 166: Qatar, where he defeated former ONE World Title challenger Han Zi Hao in entertaining fashion. With his heavy hands and deep gas tank, Suzuki has positioned himself to become a breakout star at ONE 169. Before he goes toe-to-toe with Peacock in Thailand, we look at five interesting facts about the bantamweight Muay Thai contender. He discovered Muay Thai in a magazine Suzuki didn’t always dream of being a professional prizefighter. His first love was actually the sport of baseball, but at the age of 14, he came across a martial arts magazine in a bookstore that described Muay Thai as the strongest striking art in the world. That description piqued his interest and prompted him to seek out training at a nearby gym — and the rest is history. He leveled up his Muay Thai skills in Thailand The youngster quickly fell in love with Muay Thai, and before long, he was looking for a more authentic taste of the centuries-old art. That interest naturally led him to Thailand, the birthplace of Muay Thai. Suzuki made the training trip alone, sharpening his striking skills while laying the foundation for a long and prosperous career in “the art of eight limbs.” He trained under a Japanese Muay Thai legend Suzuki showed plenty of promise as a professional fighter. When he returned to Japan, he sought out the best training possible, which meant moving to Tokyo to learn under the famed Toshio Fujiwara. Notably, Fujiwara became the first foreigner in history to claim a Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Title in 1978, so Suzuki spent his days learning the tricks of the trade from a man who knew exactly what it took to defeat the previously untouchable Thais. He worked on the side to make ends meet While he is now fighting on the biggest stages under the brightest lights, life wasn’t always so glamorous for the Japanese striker. In order to pursue his dreams of becoming a Muay Thai star, Suzuki spent 10 years working in a grocery store, picking up shifts between hard training sessions and fights around Asia. He is a ‘Road To ONE’ tournament winner By 2022, Suzuki had enjoyed a relatively prosperous career, earning several domestic titles. But his fighting days looked to be nearing an end until he was presented with the opportunity to compete in the Road to ONE: Japan tournament. The veteran proved he still carried big power and dangerous finishing instincts, knocking out both of his opponents to win the prestigious event and claim his spot on ONE Championship’s global roster. He now hopes to keep that career resurgence going against the planet’s most talented strikers in ONE. BY BEN COATE [[email protected]]