Yuki Yoza says Japanese kickboxing legend Masato Kobayashi inspired him to pursue combat sports: “A bigger influence on me”

Long before Yuki Yoza stepped under the lights of ONE Championship and delivered a breakout debut, he was just a kid glued to the TV, watching Masato Kobayashi light up K-1.

The Japanese icon was more than just a national hero, he was Yoza’s first window into what combat sports could look like. And while other kids may have been caught up in action anime, Yoza's eyes were already locked on something real - something he could aspire to be.

"Fighters who were active in the combat sports world at that time. Initially, I was inspired by watching Masato, and that made me think combat sports were cool. That had a bigger influence on me than any anime characters," he told ONE Championship

That early admiration shaped Yoza's martial arts journey, eventually bringing him to the biggest martial arts stage in the world. And after an explosive promotional debut performance, the Japanese striker is soaking in every part of the experience and already thinking about what comes next.

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“It was a good experience” - Yuki Yoza proud to experience the power of fighting on the ONE Championship’s global stage

Yuki Yoza’s promotional debut at ONE Championship proved to be a very different experience from his fights in Japan. Still, the newcomer handled it well, holding his ground against the physicality and soaking up every bit of the pressure.

"I guess the roughness of the exchanges and things like that are part of fighting on the world stage. I think that kind of thing wouldn't really happen with Japanese fighters, so including that, it was a good experience and fun."

He admits it was unusual to get pushed around, but instead of being overwhelmed, he found some quiet confidence in his durability:

"It was unusual for me to get pushed around, but I think because my body felt quite strong, I didn't feel like I was getting thrown around that much."