Yuki Yoza ONE Championship: "I will take the belt from Haggerty" - Yuki Yoza fired up to dethrone British superstar for bantamweight kickboxing glory

Former K1 champion Yuki Yoza will debut on the global stage on May 23 at ONE Friday Fight 109, where he takes on Russian contender Elbrus Osmanov in a bantamweight kickboxing scrap inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Before his much-awaited match in ONE Championship, Yoza spoke with the South China Morning Post for an interview, and he revealed his grand plan towards the world title, as he proclaimed:

"Within a year, I will take the belt from Haggerty. That's the goal. He's strong and very good at adjusting, but I want to show I am better."

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The Japanese striking sensation is part of the famed Team Vasileus and is also a teammate to other ONE Championship stars Takeru Segawa and newly minted ONE featherweight kickboxing world champion Masaaki Noiri.

If Yoza gets the job done against 'The Samurai', he still needs to get past other top contenders in the weight class like Superlek Kiatmoo9, Hiroki Akimoto, Petchtanong Petchfergus, Ilias Ennahachi, and Wei Rui to earn a shot at the 26-pound golden belt.

Yuki Yoza happy to take his talents to ONE Championship and showcase them to the world

After dominating the Japanese kickboxing circuit for years, which was capped off by a 10-fight win streak, Yoza has finally caught the attention of ONE Championship and earned himself a roster spot among the top athletes in combat sports.

According to the 27-year-old star, he has been dreaming of joining the world's largest martial arts organization, and now, he aims to prove that he belongs with the elite fighters, as he told the South China Morning Post in a recent interview:

"This is the stage I've been dreaming of. Now I need to show who Yuki Yoza is."

Fans can watch all the action at ONE Friday Fights 109 on ONE Championship's YouTube channel, ONE Super App, and at watch.onefc.com.

About the author

Anatoly is an MMA writer with six years of experience. He covers ONE Championship at Sportskeeda, where he has contributed over 1000 pieces. He previously served as the lead MMA writer for BetMGM’s blog.

Anatoly holds a bachelor's degree in communication, which he feels has had a significant impact on his career.

Jon Jones’ submission win over Lyoto Machida at UFC 140 in 2011 got him hooked to MMA. His favorite fighters include Eduard Folayang, Demetrious Johnson, Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Anatoly provides Sportskeeda with exclusive pieces and has previously interviewed the former ONE flyweight MMA world champion, Adriano Moraes. While writing his pieces, he follows an extensive research process, referring only to credible sources like the UFC’s official website, Sherdog, and ESPN. He also likes to provide insights to his readers by keeping in mind important pillars of communication like media literacy and audience dynamics.

Anatoly advocates for a healthy and fit lifestyle by including boxing in his routine. He also loves to travel.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi