Yuki Yoza has set his sights on a showdown with Superlek Kiatmoo9 next in ONE Championship – and says someone is walking away with a broken leg.
The Japanese kickboxing star made his long-awaited promotional debut last weekend at ONE Friday Fights 109 in Bangkok, handing Russia’s Elbrus Osmanov his first loss - by unanimous decision – in a high-stakes bantamweight clash.
“So since the belt is in my eyes, I’m going for Jonathan Haggerty,” Yoza said during a post-fight interview with the Bangkok Post and Beyond Kickboxing.
“But if you talk about someone in the rankings that I would like to fight, that is going to be Superlek.
“I think it will play out like a leg kick war – it’s going to be a challenge of whose leg will break first.”
The 27-year-old also grinned when asked if he’s motivated by the chance to avenge teammate Takeru Segawa, who lost to Superlek in a flyweight kickboxing title fight in January 2024.
“Yes,” he said with a smile.
Yoza’s win over Osmanov marked a strong start in ONE after a dominant run in K-1, and he acknowledged the challenges of adapting to new rules and protocols – including the organisation’s strict hydration tests.
“There was a period of time I couldn’t make the water come down to hydration but with my team’s power we overcame it,” he said. “If there was no hydration test I could just use my fighting spirit to sweat out all the water – but in ONE, just fighting spirit alone doesn't work.
“It needs to be a long-term diet to shred the fat off, but I think this kind of diet suits my body.”
Still, the win broke what Yoza joked had become a curse for Japanese fighters debuting in ONE – and proved a validation of his move to Vasileus, where he trains alongside Takeru and Masaaki Noiri.
“It’s a victory I got with my team,” he said. “I watched all the videos of my seniors who fought in ONE before – we had the shared experience which helped a lot, especially with the 10-point MUST rules.
“They said ‘thank you’ because I just broke the jinx that Japanese fighters could not have a good debut fight in ONE.”
Despite the heated build-up, which saw Osmanov dismiss Yoza as “a stupid, straightforward fighter,” the former K-1 champion said there were no hard feelings.
“It is trash talk from both real fighters,” said Yoza, who told the Bangkok Post before the fight he would teach Osmanov a “lesson”.
“We do that with respect.”
He also laughed when told a fan had placed US$1,000 on him as a +110 betting underdog.
“Also during my first K-1 fight, my debut there, I had a 9-1 betting ratio saying I was going to lose.”
Now 1-0 in ONE Championship, Yoza made it clear he’s staying ready – whether he goes straight to Haggerty, or has to go through a contender in the top five.
“The timing for my return to the ring – it could be any time,” he said. “I will be preparing myself to be ready.”
The Japanese kickboxing star made his long-awaited promotional debut last weekend at ONE Friday Fights 109 in Bangkok, handing Russia’s Elbrus Osmanov his first loss - by unanimous decision – in a high-stakes bantamweight clash.
“So since the belt is in my eyes, I’m going for Jonathan Haggerty,” Yoza said during a post-fight interview with the Bangkok Post and Beyond Kickboxing.
“But if you talk about someone in the rankings that I would like to fight, that is going to be Superlek.
“I think it will play out like a leg kick war – it’s going to be a challenge of whose leg will break first.”
The 27-year-old also grinned when asked if he’s motivated by the chance to avenge teammate Takeru Segawa, who lost to Superlek in a flyweight kickboxing title fight in January 2024.
“Yes,” he said with a smile.
Yoza’s win over Osmanov marked a strong start in ONE after a dominant run in K-1, and he acknowledged the challenges of adapting to new rules and protocols – including the organisation’s strict hydration tests.
“There was a period of time I couldn’t make the water come down to hydration but with my team’s power we overcame it,” he said. “If there was no hydration test I could just use my fighting spirit to sweat out all the water – but in ONE, just fighting spirit alone doesn't work.
“It needs to be a long-term diet to shred the fat off, but I think this kind of diet suits my body.”
Still, the win broke what Yoza joked had become a curse for Japanese fighters debuting in ONE – and proved a validation of his move to Vasileus, where he trains alongside Takeru and Masaaki Noiri.
“It’s a victory I got with my team,” he said. “I watched all the videos of my seniors who fought in ONE before – we had the shared experience which helped a lot, especially with the 10-point MUST rules.
“They said ‘thank you’ because I just broke the jinx that Japanese fighters could not have a good debut fight in ONE.”
Despite the heated build-up, which saw Osmanov dismiss Yoza as “a stupid, straightforward fighter,” the former K-1 champion said there were no hard feelings.
“It is trash talk from both real fighters,” said Yoza, who told the Bangkok Post before the fight he would teach Osmanov a “lesson”.
“We do that with respect.”
He also laughed when told a fan had placed US$1,000 on him as a +110 betting underdog.
“Also during my first K-1 fight, my debut there, I had a 9-1 betting ratio saying I was going to lose.”
Now 1-0 in ONE Championship, Yoza made it clear he’s staying ready – whether he goes straight to Haggerty, or has to go through a contender in the top five.
“The timing for my return to the ring – it could be any time,” he said. “I will be preparing myself to be ready.”
