ONE SAMURAI 1: “He’s strong and good”

ONE bantamweight kickboxing world title challenger Yuki Yoza of Japan understands the tough task at hand at ONE SAMURAI 1.

However, the 28-year-old star is confident he’ll leave Tokyo’s Ariake Arena with 26 pounds of gold when he challenges reigning ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Jonathan Haggerty on April 29.

The former K-1 lightweight champion acknowledges ‘The General’ as a formidable champion who brings world-class skills to the global stage.

However, Yoza believes it’s not something he hasn’t seen before, and he’s ready to end the Brit’s reign in the 145-pound ranks.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the Team Vasileus ward said:

“He beat Wei Rui pretty decisively. So, he’s pretty strong as I expected. He’s strong and good, but [beating him] isn’t going to be a problem at all.”

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Haggerty successfully defended his throne at ONE 171 last year, besting tough Chinese challenger ‘Demon Blade’ Wei Rui after five rounds of epic action.

Yuki Yoza, on the other hand, earned this opportunity following a perfect 3-0 start in the promotion, including wins over former bantamweight kickboxing world champion Petchtanong Petchfergus and reigning ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek.

Yuki Yoza reveals why he doesn’t like using hand wraps

Yuki Yoza is indeed a unique fighter, opting not to use hand wraps each time he steps foot in the ring.

It’s a method that has baffled fans and pundits alike, but the Japanese star prefers it this way.

The Team Vasileus star said in his pre-event interview with ONE Championship:

“Using hand wraps? No, I think it doesn’t matter either way. Personally, I don’t think it’s something you need to worry about that much. Whether you wrap your hands or not, you should just go with whatever feels best for you.”

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