Fresh off his historic win at ONE 173 in Tokyo’s Ariake Arena, Nadaka Yoshinari became the inaugural ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion with a landslide victory over Thailand’s Numsurin. Speaking at a press conference in Tokyo the following day, the 24-year-old outlined an ambitious roadmap for his future — including a move into kickboxing.
“Defending the belt gives it value. I want to defend it once, twice, maybe three times,” he said. “After that, there are a lot of different challenges within ONE. If opponents get scarce, moving up in weight or taking catchweight fights against bigger fighters could be exciting. And like Tawanchai and Superbon, the idea of testing myself under kickboxing rules really excites me. It boosts my motivation.
“Tawanchai and Superbon take kickboxing fights to prove how strong Muay Thai is. I think it’s a great chance for people to realize how incredible Muay Thai really is. I genuinely believe Muay Thai is the strongest.”
Widely regarded as one of the top talents in the sport, Nadaka Yoshinari has already collected titles at Lumpinee, Rajadamnern, WBC, and now ONE. A move into kickboxing would mark another significant step in the Japanese striker’s career.
While ONE does not yet have an official atomweight kickboxing title, the promotion has held several atomweight bouts in the past, most recently featuring former K-1 champion Toma Kuroda, Adam, and Kirill Chizhik.
Pound-for-pound standout Kazuki Osaki, who would be a natural fit for the atomweight division, previously hinted at a move to ONE. A matchup with Yoshinari would be a major all-Japanese meeting between two of the best in their respective disciplines. However, with his current focus on challenging for the Rajadamnern title at RWS, that possibility appears unlikely for the time being.
