Ryohei Kurosawa enters his strawweight bout against Bokang Masunyane at ONE Fight Night 39 carrying a six-fight winning streak built through disciplined evolution from karate specialist to well-rounded mixed martial artist.
The 32-year-old Japanese fighter faces Masunyane on Friday, January 23, live from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The event streams in U.S. primetime on Amazon Prime Video.
Kurosawa brings a 20-4 professional record including previous championship reigns with Shooto and Pancrase in Japan. His path began in Matsudo, Chiba, where his father's passion for martial arts created an environment where combat sports felt natural. Young Kurosawa initially struggled with the social aspects of training rather than the technical demands.
"I won't lie, I was a bit scared of it," Kurosawa said. "I wasn't scared of training. But I was mostly scared of being in a room with other students. I've never shared that kind of space with other people before, and maybe that's why I was really scared about it."
Kurosawa discovered MMA at 17 through Blackbelt Japan, the gym he still represents. After a year of training, his teammates recognized his readiness to compete. Ten amateur bouts provided the foundation for his professional transition in mid-2012.
Early in his career, Kurosawa recognized that relying solely on karate striking created predictable patterns opponents could exploit. He committed to developing his grappling and ground game to complement his stand-up skills.
"When I first started, given that my background was karate, I only used to focus on striking," Kurosawa said. "Every time my opponent tried to take me down, I tried to defend, and I tried to strike. It was the same. But I started building my grappling so I could grapple with opponents. Now, I'd say my style is more well-rounded."
That evolution produced eight knockout victories and three submission wins across his professional career. His success in Japan drew attention from ONE Championship, leading to his promotional debut at ONE Friday Fights 124 in September. Kurosawa defeated Jayson Miralpez by unanimous decision to extend his winning streak to six consecutive victories.
The bout against Masunyane represents another opportunity for Kurosawa to demonstrate his growth while representing Japanese fighters on the global stage.
"It's my chance to show who Japanese fighters are, and it's my opportunity to prove that Japanese fighters are the best in the world," Kurosawa said. "I cannot wait to continue fighting against the best fighters to make my name big in ONE Championship."
