“I Thought About Quitting”: Rukiya Anpo set for lightweight debut after a difficult six-month spell
Rukiya Anpo will make his lightweight kickboxing debut at ONE SAMURAI 4, but the road back to the ring has been anything but straightforward.
Rukiya Anpo has not fought since losing a unanimous decision to Marat Grigorian at ONE 173 in November 2025. He also missed weight for that fight, a failure that hit particularly hard because of his own views on what it means to be a professional. Now, nearly a year later, he is preparing to face Bogdan Shumarov at Ariake Arena in Tokyo on Oct. 17.
Rukiya Anpo Nearly Walked Away From Fighting
The weight miss stayed with Anpo long after the fight ended. The former K-1 champion admitted he considered leaving the sport altogether. He had spent years believing fighters who missed weight were not true professionals, making his own failure especially difficult to accept.
“After that match, since I missed weight, I thought about quitting fighting altogether. I had been saying for a while that anyone who misses weight isn’t a real pro."
“There was a good stretch where I stepped away from fighting entirely. I didn’t train at all for about half a year. During that time, my mental state wasn’t great. I felt like I wasn’t being a pro back then.”
Anpo eventually found his way back to training. He says doing different things away from fighting helped him get into a better place mentally, and he now feels ready for his return.
Rukiya Anpo Is Unfazed by Moving Up in Weight
The move to lightweight brings a different challenge, but size isn't what concerns Anpo. He has already shared the ring with significantly bigger fighters and says he has no fear of stepping up in weight.
“I don’t know if suits me or not. There is nothing in between. As for me personally, fighting bigger guys is not scary.
His real concern is closer to home: whether he can give the fans the version of himself he expects.
“If anything, what I am actually afraid of is stepping into the ring unable to put out my best performance.
“Being in less-than-best shape and fighting in front of the fans like that is the thing that is really hard for me. Moving up a weight class doesn’t scare me at all.”
Anpo's last fight left him questioning whether he should keep fighting. Now, he has a chance to put that period behind him.
