WATCH: Japanese-Korean legend Yoshihiro Akiyama defies Father Time in dominant KO of Sherif Mohamed

Athletes are the perfect examples of what it means to be at one’s peak performance and they have continuously proven such a statement throughout their many bouts.

But the biggest commonality among all of them is that there is one opponent that simply cannot be defeated and only delayed - Father Time.

In the case of Yoshihiro Akiyama, that is certainly what he did in his second ONE Championship bout against Sherif Mohamed at ONE: King of the Jungle in 2020.

“Sexyama” entered the bout on a two-fight losing streak, leading to questions as to whether he can still fight the best of the best in the world - something that he answered in spectacular fashion.

Mohamed’s eagerness to showcase his own prowess was met by Akiyama’s veteran experience and the Japanese star was more than willing to prove that he still has power in his hands, dropping the Egyptian with a short right hook before landing one more big punch to ensure the knockout victory.

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Yoshihiro Akiyama booked for January 28 card

He will again have another chance to prove that age is just a number as he takes on Dutch legend Nieky Holzken in a special rules bout on January 28 at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan at ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru.

The rules feature Round 1 and 2 being contested under boxing and Muay Thai, respectively, while Round 3 will be right up Akiyama’s alley of MMA.

“The Natural” has already been vocal about his desire to defeat Akiyama in the hopes of becoming a ONE world champion in the future, though the Japanese star will surely have none of it after most recently putting away longtime rival Shinya Aoki via TKO in March 2022.

Check your local listings or visit ONE Championship's official website on how to watch ONE 165 from your location.