Japanese kickboxer Yuki Yoza, a prominent figure in the sport, has officially joined ONE Championship. His signing represents a significant reinforcement for the promotion`s bantamweight division. The former K-1 lightweight champion comes to ONE on the strength of an impressive 10-bout winning streak and expressed confidence in his ability to contend for a title in the near future.
This transition occurred swiftly for the 27-year-old, taking place merely three days after he publicly announced his status as a free agent. Yoza`s move follows his widely reported departure from K-1, where he vacated his lightweight title after a prolonged period without receiving any fight offers.
Expressing his frustration regarding the lack of communication, Yoza personally returned the championship belt to K-1`s offices. He stated, “Since last November, I haven’t received any fight offers at all. Even when I contacted them about relinquishing the belt, I got no response, so I went directly to the K-1 office and returned the belt myself.”
Yoza aims to showcase his distinctive Karate-based fighting style within ONE`s highly competitive bantamweight ranks, which feature notable talents such as Jonathan Haggerty, Wei Rui, Petchtanong, and Elbrus Osmanov.
For his dedicated fans, this decision was not unexpected, as he had frequently spoken about his aspirations to join ONE and challenge its fighters on multiple occasions. Furthermore, his association with Team VASILEUS, home to fighters like former three-division K-1 champion Takeru and current ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing Champion Masaaki Noiri, aligns well with ONE`s strategic efforts to expand its market presence in Japan.
Murray Blackwood 
Gareth Pendleton