Yuki Yoza plans to exploit Jonathan Haggerty’s gaps at ONE Samurai 1: “Will be the key’

Yuki Yoza has had one name circled since the moment he set foot in ONE Championship.

On April 29, the wait is finally over. The former multi-time K-1 Champion challenges ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan “The General” Haggerty at ONE Samurai 1 at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena — the title shot he has been targeting from day one.

Yoza earned it the hard way. A perfect 3-0 run inside the promotion, capped by a unanimous decision masterclass over flyweight kickboxing king Superlek at ONE 173, made his case impossible to ignore. He arrives at this moment with 13 straight victories and a complete understanding of what stands in his way.

Haggerty is a two-division, two-sport ONE World Champion whose point-scoring precision and distance management have neutralized every challenger put in front of him. At ONE 171, he dismantled Wei Rui over five rounds to end the Chinese striker’s 21-fight winning streak. He is the benchmark of the division.

“He strikes me as someone who is very skilled at scoring points. Rather than forcing exchanges, he reads his opponent’s attacks carefully and controls the fight by landing precise, accumulated hits,” Yuki Yoza said. “His distance management is exceptional, and he’s masterful at positioning himself so that he simply doesn’t get touched.

“Since moving up to bantamweight, I feel his already strong technique has been backed up by even greater physicality. Each strike carries more weight, and you can feel the pressure in his offense. I think he’s become a threat not just in terms of speed, but in power as well.”

Yuki Yoza vows to become the face of ONE Samurai

Yuki Yoza respects Haggerty completely. He also believes he has found the blueprint to beat him. Moreover, the 28-year-old Team Vasileus standout has studied the champion in depth, and his conclusion is not that Haggerty is unbeatable. It is that the more polished a fighter is, the more their hidden vulnerabilities matter.

A victory on home soil would carry weight far beyond the belt. ONE Samurai 1 will showcase Japan’s finest on the world stage, and Yoza intends to be its defining moment.

“Overall, he’s a well-rounded fighter with very few weaknesses. His punches, kicks, defense, and fight management are all at a high level. And that’s exactly why he has remained champion,” Yoza said. “That said, the more polished a fighter is, the more there are hidden gaps to exploit. Finding those gaps will be the key theme for me going into this fight.

“At the inaugural event of this new series, ONE Samurai 1, I will prove that I am the strongest fighter in the world. I am the only one who can keep winning against the world’s best. I will start by capturing the belt. Then, whether it’s in the ONE Samurai series or overseas shows, I will take down every fighter who is called elite, one by one.

“I will win the ONE belt — that’s a promise. It is because of the support of everyone who has stood by me that I am able to stand on this stage today. On April 29th, I will show you what it looks like for a Japanese fighter to become champion. I will become the face of ONE Samurai and lead all of ONE Championship forward!”