OFF 109: “I don't think he'll exceed my expectations” - Yuki Yoza says he got ONE Friday Fights 109 foe Elbrus Osmanov all figured out

Yuki Yoza isn’t losing sleep over Elbrus Osmanov’s perfect record. The former K-1 champ knows he’s walking into hostile territory on May 23 when he steps into the ONE Friday Fights 109 spotlight in Bangkok, but he also believes he’s done enough homework to walk out with the win.

Osmanov is undefeated in ONE with six straight victories, and his flashy, karate-style attacks have overwhelmed every opponent he’s faced so far. But Yuki Yoza’s been around. He’s studied and trained for the unpredictability and built his camp around beating that kind of fighter.

Speaking with ONE Championship ahead of fight night, he said:

"Also, his physical strength—that's something you can't know until the fight begins," he said. "However, I've prepared with these factors in mind, so I don't think he'll exceed my expectations."

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

The 27-year-old striker trains alongside some of Japan’s finest at Team Vasileus, including superstar Takeru Segawa and ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world champ Masaaki Noiri. With that kind of preparation and high-level sparring day in and day out, Yoza is coming into fight night fully ready.

“I'm picturing him as extremely strong” - Yuki Yoza won’t let his guard down to avoid an upset against Elbrus Osmanov

Still, Yuki Yoza’s not walking in with blind confidence. He knows Osmanov’s speed and creativity are the real deal, and he’s doing everything he can to mentally prepare for what could be a chaotic three-round war.

"His explosive speed is something I can't fully gauge until we face each other," he said. "So I'm trying to visualize that at a high level. If he comes in stronger than I imagine, I might get flustered, so I'm picturing him as extremely strong."

There’s no doubt Yoza respects the challenge, but he also believes he’s the right guy to hand Osmanov his first loss.

ONE Friday Fights 109 happens tomorrow, May 23, at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.

About the author

Charlene is a MMA writer with 5 years of experience writing content in various formats. She inadvertently fell into the rabbit hole of MMA after she (begrudgingly) joined her friend for a class and ended up enjoying it far beyond her expectations. She has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and once dreamed of becoming a sports doctor before she found her true calling in writing.

She has ghostwritten for various health, fitness, and martial arts businesses. Despite the busyness of her day-to-day, she occasionally finds the time to practice Boxing and Muay Thai at home with her coach/husband and their many cats as their rapt audience.

She has organized a few local MMA events and aspires to establish her own little gym someday.

Outside of work, Charlene enjoys books, video games, and anime.

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by Tejas Rathi