Mona Kimura’s Next Fight: Booked for K-1 Title Fight on December 29
Mona Kimura is getting her shot at SAHO, and there is already plenty of history between them. SAHO will defend the K-1 WORLD GP women’s flyweight title against Kimura at 52kg at K-1 WORLD MAX 2026. The event takes place on Tuesday, December 29, at Yokohama BUNTAI in Yokohama, Japan.
Mona Kimura has dismissed SAHO’s forward-pressure style and questioned her technique. SAHO has challenged whether Kimura has earned a title shot, arguing that popularity and championship credentials are different things.
SAHO vs. Mona Kimura
SAHO, 27, brings a 22-2 record with one knockout and represents Toushinjuku. Originally from Kasai in Hyogo Prefecture, she followed her older sister into kickboxing and turned professional in July 2016 at 16. Before becoming K-1 champion, she collected titles under kickboxing and Muay Thai rules, including the S1 women’s world bantamweight championship.
She took the K-1 belt from Antonia Prifti by unanimous decision on March 20, 2024. Successful defenses followed against Lara Fernandez in July 2025, Sofia Tsolakidou in February 2026 and Laysa Silva on July 20, setting up a fourth defense against Kimura. Against Silva, SAHO won on all three scorecards, 30-28, 30-28 and 29-28.
On Kimura, SAHO said: “When the time comes, I’ll fight her. But work your way up first. There are plenty of ways to counter [those kicks]. It’s annoying, honestly… I just don’t like that type of girl.”
Kimura, 25, arrives at 5-0 with two knockouts, fighting out of K-1 Gym Meguro Team Tiger. The southpaw from Mizuho in Gifu Prefecture started karate at four and won seven consecutive JKJO national junior championships. She later represented Japan at the 2022 Women’s World Boxing Championships before making her professional kickboxing debut in November 2024.
Her first three wins came against Ai Ogiwara, Yuka and Satoko Ozawa. She then beat Eun Ji Choi in April 2026 before getting a tougher assignment against Marine Nicol on September 12. That fight needed an extra round after the opening three rounds produced a split draw; Kimura took the additional round 10-9 on every card.
On facing SAHO, Kimura said: “Rather than smothering her, I’ll shut her out with technique.” She added that SAHO’s technique is “not worth discussing” and that she would beat her by making her a resident of “Mona World.”
Kimura’s repeated kicks, thrown while balancing on one leg, have earned her the nickname “real-life Chun-Li,” a reference to the Street Fighter character. At 166cm, she is seven centimetres taller than SAHO, whose approach centres on pressure and punches.
K-1 WORLD MAX 2026
The same announcement adds two more championship fights: heavyweight champion Ariel Machado against Maxim Baklanov and middleweight champion Dengue Silva against Jahfaro Gezius. Rui Okubo meets Bobirjon at 59kg, while Claudio Istrate faces Ueda at heavyweight.
Those additions join a kickboxing card that already includes Kiyomitsu Samuel Nagasawa defending the lightweight title against Kouzi. The event also hosts the eight-man, one-day final tournament at 70kg, with quarterfinals, semifinals and the final scheduled for December 29.
