K-1 has announced that K-1 Lightweight champion Yuki Yoza will take on former ONE champion Petchdam in a non-title bout at the K-1 World Grand Prix on September 29 at the Yoyogi National Stadium.
Since winning the title by defeating the division's former top contender, Taio Asahisa, Yoza has looked unstoppable, securing victories over Aaron Clarke, Aikmongkol, Kan Nakamura, and Kongnapa. In his last appearance, Yoza made a statement with a first-round stoppage, signaling his desire to compete more frequently and challenging top-level fighters to step up.
"I love fighting. I think this is the time to get my name out there to the world, so I want to fight hard to get my name out there and increase my value as a champion. If possible, I'd like to do it every month."
While some of his desired opponents, such as Jonathan Haggerty, Petchtanong, and Alaverdi Ramazanov, are currently out of reach due to promotional barriers, Yoza will now take on a former ONE champion.
Petchdam captured the inaugural ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship by defeating Elias Mahmoudi at 'ONE Championship: Warriors Of Light' in 2019. However, his reign was short-lived, as Ilias Ennahachi claimed the title just three months later. Since then, Petchdam has primarily competed in Muay Thai, with his most recent outing being a decision loss to Zhang Lanpei earlier this year.
Although the Thai fighter brings a wealth of experience, the advantage should lean towards Yoza, who has been hitting his stride as of late.
