Yuki Yoza scores upset victory at ONE Friday Fights 116
Yuki Yoza proved he belongs among the bantamweight kickboxing elite with the biggest victory of his career on Friday night. The Japanese striker shocked the combat sports world by defeating Thai legend Petchtanong Petchfergus.
The former K-1 Champion earned a unanimous decision victory over the 39-year-old former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion in a thrilling three-round war. Yoza’s performance announced his arrival as a legitimate title contender.
The 27-year-old Japanese fighter secured the victory with an early knockdown courtesy of a cracking left hand. That decisive moment proved to be the difference in a closely contested battle between two elite strikers.
Yoza’s upset victory over the #3-ranked contender positions him for a potential shot at current champion Jonathan Haggerty. The young prospect has now won his first two ONE Championship appearances in spectacular fashion.
Meanwhile, in the main event, Nahyan Mohammed got his revenge against Adam Sor Dechapan in their 112-pound Muay Thai rematch. The 16-year-old French-Algerian prodigy stopped the Thai-Malaysian via TKO at 1:33 of round two.