The Team Vasileus standout joins ONE`s bantamweight division.
Japanese kickboxing star Yuki Yoza has officially joined ONE Championship, marking a significant addition to the promotion`s bantamweight category. The former K-1 lightweight champion arrives with an impressive 10-fight winning streak and is confident he will be in title contention soon.
This move happened quickly for the 27-year-old, coming just three days after he announced he was officially a free agent. Yoza`s transition follows his public departure from K-1, where he vacated his lightweight title after a long period without receiving any fight offers.
Frustrated by the lack of communication, Yoza personally returned the belt directly 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 intends to bring his dynamic Karate style to ONE`s competitive bantamweight division, which features talents such as Jonathan Haggerty, Wei Rui, Petchtanong, and Elbrus Osmanov.
For fans of the fighter, this step comes as no surprise, as he has been vocal about his desire to join ONE and challenge their roster on multiple occasions. Additionally, his teammates at Team VASILEUS—former three-division K-1 champion Takeru and current ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing Champion Masaaki Noiri—have played a significant role in the promotion`s expansion into the Japanese market.
Gareth Tenby 
Neville Woodall