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Japanese knockout artist Yuki Yoza long sought to compete on the global stage. He is happy and excited to finally able to do it at ONE Championship.
The 27-year-old fighter is set to make his debut in the world's largest martial arts organization at ONE Friday Fights 109 on May 23 at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. He is up against rising Russian star Elbrus Osmanov in a bantamweight kickboxing showdown.
In an interview with the South China Morning Post ahead of his ONE debut, Yoza shared his excitement on his latest journey and its significance to his career:
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"I’ve always dreamed of this moment, and now that I’ve finally got my dream, I just grabbed the opportunity."
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Watch the interview below:
Yuki Yoza established himself as an elite fighter at K-1 before coming on board ONE Championship.
In the Japan-based promotion, he won the lightweight title. He also got the chance to compete against some of the top fighters in the game, including former ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Petchdam Petchyindee Academy, who he knocked out in his last match back in September.
At ONE Friday Fights 109, Yoza is pitted against a formidable opponent in 23-year-old Osmanov. 'The Samurai' has been competing in ONE Championship since 2023 and has been undefeated in six matches to date.
ONE Friday Fights 109 is available live in Asia primetime. For more information on it, check out onefc.com.
Yuki Yoza sharpening skills alongside Takeru and Masaaki Noiri
In steadily building his standing in the kickboxing scene, Yuki Yoza is doing it while training alongside top Japanese fighters Takeru Segawa and Masaaki Noiri.
Under Team Vasileus in Tokyo, Yoza has taken his martial arts journey to a whole new level. He gives credit to his superstar teammates for guiding him in his campaign.
Takeru and Noiri are also in ONE Championship now after having a distinguished career at K-1. Noiri is currently the ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world champion.
