It’s official: ONE Championship has announced the debut of former K-1 lightweight champion Yuki Yoza. He'll face undefeated Russian prospect Elbrus Osmanov at ONE Friday Fights 109 on May 23.
It’s been a whirlwind month for the Japanese standout. In just two weeks, Yoza announced his departure from K-1, vacated his title, signed with ONE Championship, and had his promotional debut booked.
Yoza secured the top spot in the -64 kg Beyond Kickboxing Rankings by defeating former champion Taio Asahisa twice since 2022. He is currently riding a 10-fight winning streak and is now moving up from 62.5 kg to compete in ONE’s 65.8 kg bantamweight division. The flashy striker boasts a successful background in Kyokushin Karate and remains the youngest IKO world champion in history, having won the title at just 19 years old.
Osmanov, 23, holds an undefeated 12-fight record and has been touted as ONE’s next bantamweight star. Despite a perfect 6-0 run in the promotion, the Team Mehdi Zatout representative had yet to secure a long-term contract—until now.
