Jonathan Haggerty To Defend ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title Against Yuki Yoza At ONE Samurai 1
Jonathan Haggerty has unfinished business in Japan. On April 29 at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena, he gets the chance to settle it.
ONE Championship has confirmed that “The General” will put his ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Championship on the line against surging Japanese challenger Yuki Yoza at ONE Samurai 1 — a card that already features the Rodtang vs. Takeru II rematch for the ONE Interim Flyweight Kickboxing World Title.
Haggerty arrives as one of the promotion’s most decorated strikers. The 29-year-old Brit has accumulated nine promotional victories, with stoppage wins over former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Hama and former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion Fabricio Andrade among the highlights of an already remarkable career.
His most recent outing was a masterclass. He dismantled Chinese contender Wei Rui across five rounds at ONE 171, ending “Demon Blade’s” 21-fight winning streak with a dominant unanimous decision to retain his title. The performance underlined exactly why Haggerty remains at the top of the bantamweight kickboxing division.
He was originally scheduled to challenge for the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title against Nabil Anane at ONE 173 last year, but injury forced a withdrawal. Now fully fit and focused, “The General” faces the most dangerous challenger yet to step in front of him.
Yoza has been nothing short of sensational since arriving on the global stage. Back-to-back victories over Elbrus Osmanov and former ONE World Champion Petchtanong Petchfergus demonstrated his credentials, but it was his performance at ONE 173 last November that announced him as a genuine world title threat.
Facing ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Superlek — one of the most technically gifted strikers in history — Yoza refused to be intimidated. He overwhelmed the Thai superstar with a relentless barrage of kicks and punches to claim a unanimous decision and earn his shot at Haggerty’s gold.
Two fighters in the form of their lives. A world title at stake. Tokyo on April 29.
READ MORE: Rodtang And Takeru Are Running It Back — And This Time A World Title Is On The Line
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