ONE Championship: Yoza out to take Superlek’s ‘Kicking Machine’ title

Former K-1 champion Yuki Yoza arrived in ONE Championship with a reputation as one of the most dangerous kickboxers in the world, and the 27-year-old has quickly lived up to it.

On his debut, Yoza outpointed the previously undefeated Elbrus “The Samurai” Osmanov, before returning less than two months later to score a unanimous decision win over former bantamweight kickboxing champion Petchtanong Petchfergus.

Those two statement victories have earned the Japanese star a blockbuster showdown with Thai legend Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 173 in Tokyo on November 16.

Superlek had been riding an imperious winning streak, holding both the flyweight kickboxing and bantamweight Muay Thai belts, before a turbulent year saw him stripped of the latter after missing weight. He was then defeated via unanimous decision by Nabil Anane at ONE 172 – the first time in ONE history Superlek had been knocked down.

The “Kicking Machine” still reigns as flyweight kickboxing champion, but his bout with Yoza will be a non-title contest at bantamweight, scheduled for three rounds. With Jonathan Haggerty – the division’s kickboxing champion – tipped to challenge Anane for his Muay Thai strap, the winner here is widely expected to be next in line for a title shot.

“To be honest, at first I was a little disappointed – I really wanted Haggerty,” Yoza told the Post. “But Superlek is also someone I’ve wanted to fight for a long time, so now I’m very excited.”