Japanese kickboxing star Yuki Yoza has officially joined ONE Championship, significantly strengthening the promotion`s competitive bantamweight roster. The former K-1 lightweight champion arrives on a strong 10-fight winning streak and is already expressing confidence in challenging for a title in the near future.
This signing represents a rapid transition for the 27-year-old, happening merely three days after he declared himself a free agent. Yoza`s departure from K-1 was public, culminating in him vacating his lightweight title citing a lengthy period with no fight opportunities.
Expressing frustration over the lack of communication, Yoza personally returned the championship belt to K-1`s offices. He explained, “I haven’t received any fight offers since last November. When I tried contacting them about giving up the belt, I got no reply, so I went to the K-1 office and gave it back myself.”
Yoza is set to introduce his distinctive, flashy Karate style to ONE`s challenging bantamweight division, which includes notable fighters like Jonathan Haggerty, Wei Rui, Petchtanong, and Elbrus Osmanov.
For his followers, this transition wasn`t unexpected, as Yoza has frequently voiced his interest in joining ONE and competing against its roster. Furthermore, his stablemates at Team VASILEUS, including former K-1 multi-division champion Takeru and current ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing Champion Masaaki Noiri, have played a significant role in ONE`s expanding presence in Japan.
Ellis Thorne