Yuki Yoza has fired back at Elbrus Osmanov’s trash talk – and sent his opponent a cold warning ahead of their clash at ONE Friday Fights 109.
The 27-year-old makes his highly anticipated ONE Championship debut on Friday in Bangkok, taking on Osmanov in a bantamweight kickboxing showdown that’s drawn global attention.
The undefeated Russian dismissed Yoza as a “stupid, straightforward fighter that the Japanese have made a star out of in Japan,” promising to expose him as “just one more step” towards his own world title run.
“I want to say the same words to him,” Yoza told the Bangkok Post with a smile, adding: “I want him to learn from the loss in this fight.”
Yoza enters the bout with serious credentials – a former K-1 champion and one of Japan’s top pound-for-pound talents, training alongside legends Takeru and Masaaki Noiri, who will be in his corner.
“It’s a big deal to have the two of them in my corner,” he said. “It calms me down and gives me confidence to win – because if you have these two in your corner, there’s no way to lose, right?”
Yoza’s ONE debut has come with some new challenges – including the promotion’s hydration protocol, which he admitted he “had a little struggle with” before fight week.
But he made weight with no issues on Thursday, before a fiery face off that turned physical with Osmanov shoving him, forcing security to intervene. Osmanov had also been angered by Yoza discussing potential future match-ups against star names like Jonathan Haggerty and Nabil Anane.he said.
“If I cannot win this fight then there is nothing to prove, right?” Yoza admitted bluntly.
Yoza has made no secret of his ambitions, however – he’s chasing the ONE bantamweight kickboxing world title, currently held by Haggerty.
“The reason I came to ONE is simple – there are so many opponents I want to fight,” he said.
“I know a lot of fans, not only in Japan but also globally, are excited to see my debut in ONE Championship, so I want to go beyond their expectations with a massive win.”
Yoza admitted he feels the pressure, but it’s outweighed by excitement – and motivation to prove himself on the global stage.
“I think Osmanov is stronger than some of the top-five ranked fighters, so this fight means a lot to me,” he said.
“I saw some predictions from the fans that I’m the underdog, so it makes me feel more motivated to win this fight.”
The 27-year-old makes his highly anticipated ONE Championship debut on Friday in Bangkok, taking on Osmanov in a bantamweight kickboxing showdown that’s drawn global attention.
The undefeated Russian dismissed Yoza as a “stupid, straightforward fighter that the Japanese have made a star out of in Japan,” promising to expose him as “just one more step” towards his own world title run.
“I want to say the same words to him,” Yoza told the Bangkok Post with a smile, adding: “I want him to learn from the loss in this fight.”
Yoza enters the bout with serious credentials – a former K-1 champion and one of Japan’s top pound-for-pound talents, training alongside legends Takeru and Masaaki Noiri, who will be in his corner.
“It’s a big deal to have the two of them in my corner,” he said. “It calms me down and gives me confidence to win – because if you have these two in your corner, there’s no way to lose, right?”
Yoza’s ONE debut has come with some new challenges – including the promotion’s hydration protocol, which he admitted he “had a little struggle with” before fight week.
But he made weight with no issues on Thursday, before a fiery face off that turned physical with Osmanov shoving him, forcing security to intervene. Osmanov had also been angered by Yoza discussing potential future match-ups against star names like Jonathan Haggerty and Nabil Anane.he said.
“If I cannot win this fight then there is nothing to prove, right?” Yoza admitted bluntly.
Yoza has made no secret of his ambitions, however – he’s chasing the ONE bantamweight kickboxing world title, currently held by Haggerty.
“The reason I came to ONE is simple – there are so many opponents I want to fight,” he said.
“I know a lot of fans, not only in Japan but also globally, are excited to see my debut in ONE Championship, so I want to go beyond their expectations with a massive win.”
Yoza admitted he feels the pressure, but it’s outweighed by excitement – and motivation to prove himself on the global stage.
“I think Osmanov is stronger than some of the top-five ranked fighters, so this fight means a lot to me,” he said.
“I saw some predictions from the fans that I’m the underdog, so it makes me feel more motivated to win this fight.”
