“I want to focus on the kickboxing belt” - Yuki Yoza locks his sights on Jonathan Haggerty’s world title

Yuki Yoza is focused on challenging Jonathan Haggerty for his ONE bantamweight kickboxing world title.

Last month, ONE Championship announced a world-class signing of another former K-1 champion from Japan. Yoza, aged 27, plans to follow in the footsteps of his training partners Takeru Segawa and Masaaki Noiri.

Yoza recently did an interview with the South China Morning Post and had this to say about wanting to pursue Haggerty's bantamweight kickboxing throne:

"For now, I want to focus on the kickboxing belt. Everything else, I’d think about that after I get the belt."

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Jonathan Haggerty captured the vacant bantamweight kickboxing title with a second-round knockout against ONE bantamweight MMA champion Fabricio Andrade in November 2023.

Following two Muay Thai fights, Haggerty returned to kickboxing and defended his throne for the first time, defeating Wei Rui by unanimous decision in a Fight of the Year contender on February 20.

Although it's unconfirmed by ONE, Haggerty's next title challenger could be Ilia Ennahachi, the former three-time flyweight kickboxing champion who defeated Hiroki Akimoto at bantamweight in September 2024.

The ONE bantamweight kickboxing title picture has become more complicated with the addition of Yuki Yoza.

Watch Yoza's entire interview with the South China Morning Post below:

Yuki Yoza would be honored to fight Superlek

At 27 years old, Yuki Yoza has a bright future in ONE Championship with various potential super-fights and entertaining battles. Yoza has his eyes set on another world champion as a future opponent: flyweight kickboxing king Superlek.

During the previously mentioned interview, Yoza had this to say about wanting to fight Superlek in kickboxing:

"Superlek is a legend. It would be an honor to face him."

Superlek has fought in kickboxing five times under the ONE banner, establishing a promotional record of 4-1. He last competed in the sport in January 2024, defending his flyweight throne against Takeru Segawa.

It's unclear who Yuki Yoza will fight in his promotional debut. ONE officials could fast-track him to an immediate title shot or test his world-class skillset against a top bantamweight contender, such as number three-ranked Petchtanong Petchfergus or number four-ranked former world champion Hiroki Akimoto.

About the author

Jake Foley is a journalist at Sportskeeda, specializing in covering all forms of combat sports, including MMA, Boxing, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai. His passion is ignited by the exceptional fusion of physical and mental skills demanded by world-class fighters in these sports. Jake is captivated by the intricate mix of fierce determination and a modest mindset exhibited by athletes in these disciplines. He also finds the atmosphere of major championships, like the epic clash between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, truly unparalleled.

Jake has earned his UFC credentials to cover the major events for Sportskeeda and has conducted several interviews.

Jake supports various teams across several professional sports, including the Las Vegas Raiders, Inter Miami, Norwich City, Miami Marlins, and Las Vegas Golden Knights. The sports moment Jake will never forget is Jon Jones dismantling Vladimir Matyushenko.

Since joining the SportsKeeda team, Jake has written 400 articles covering several MMA promotions, including the UFC and ONE Championship. He continues to work hard to maintain his journalistic integrity and tell the stories of fighters worldwide.

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Edited by C. Naik