Bokang Masunyane views his upcoming strawweight bout against Ryohei Kurosawa as the fight that can restore his position as a legitimate ONE World Title contender. The 31-year-old South African meets the Japanese fighter at ONE Fight Night 39 on Friday, January 23, at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, in U.S. primetime, with Joshua Pacio firmly in his sights as the ultimate target.
After winning four of his first five ONE Championship appearances, including a 37-second knockout of Rene Catalan, Masunyane hit consecutive decision losses that slowed his title trajectory. He went three rounds with Mansur Malachiev in a grappling-heavy contest before moving to flyweight and dropping another close decision against Sanzhar Zakirov. Those results moved him away from title contention despite the competitive nature of both performances.
Masunyane returns to strawweight with clarity about what victory over Kurosawa means for his championship pursuit. The Japanese fighter brings a six-fight winning streak and four finishes into their matchup after defeating Jayson Miralpez over three rounds at ONE Friday Fights 124 last September. A statement performance against an opponent riding momentum would position Masunyane back in conversations about elite strawweight contenders.
"Honestly, ideally, I would like to fight Joshua Pacio even tomorrow if I had to. It's a very good opportunity to fight for the title," Masunyane explained. "I've been unlucky not to get that shot, but now I'm building myself right back up to get that title shot. I'm fighting a very good fighter next, so that opens up the conversation."
The path forward requires navigating a division strengthened by new arrivals and established contenders. Masunyane acknowledges the competition but views the depth as validation rather than obstacle. His goal remains unchanged regardless of who stands between him and a title opportunity.
"Whoever wants to fight me on my way to the title, they are standing in my way, and my goal is to get that title shot, so I'm going through everyone in this division," he said.
Pacio holds the strawweight title for the seventh time across his decade-long tenure atop the division. The reigning titleholder's wushu striking background contrasts sharply with Masunyane's wrestling foundation, creating what the South African believes would be a stylistic clash guaranteed to produce an engaging fight.
"I like Pacio. He's got a very good personality, he's got a good heart, he's a fan's favorite in the division," Masunyane noted. "Fights make styles, and between my style and Joshua Pacio's style clashing, I think it'll create a very entertaining fight."
The division continues evolving with fresh talent arriving regularly, but Masunyane sees the increased competition as opportunity rather than complication. His approach centers on proving himself against whoever ONE Championship places in front of him, starting with Kurosawa's test at ONE Fight Night 39.
"Look, with all the new fighters, it has opened up the division quite a lot more. That means there's more competition and more top-level guys to fight against," Masunyane said. "I believe I'm the best fighter in the world, and for me to prove that, I need to fight every single fighter I can in this division."
A victory over Kurosawa would mark his return to the win column and potentially accelerate his timeline toward the championship opportunity he's pursued since falling short previously. The South African understands that words alone won't earn him consideration for a title fight, only performances that demand attention.
"I feel like this will open an opportunity for a title fight if I take a win here," Masunyane stated. "I've always set my goals around fighting for the title. I've fallen quite short a few times, but I think the fact that I haven't given up opens up that conversation within ONE Championship to see if they can give me the title shot."
