“Continue to strive for even greater heights” - Nadaka Yoshinari says fans can expect bigger things after his stellar ONE debut
Japanese striker Nadaka Yoshinari had an impressive ONE Championship debut last weekend. He said it was only the start and fans can expect more quality performances from him. The 24-year-old Eiwa Sports Gym standout knocked out Thai fighter Rak Erawan in their atomweight Muay Thai showdown at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang on March 23 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
Yoshinari put on a striking masterclass throughout the match, culminating with a solid straight left late in the third round to notch the KO victory.
In an Instagram post, Nadaka Yoshinari spoke about the victory at ONE 172, vowing that he is going for more success in the "Home of Martial Arts" and fans should take heed.
Part of his post read:
"I will continue to strive for even greater heights, so please continue to support and pay attention to me in the future 🔥 Your support has really given me strength!! ⚡️"
Prior to joining ONE Championship, Yoshinari was a champion Muay Thai fighter in different organizations, including in the Rajadamnern World Series in Japan.
The replay of ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang is available at watch.onefc.com.
Nadaka Yoshinari one of eight Japanese fighters victorious at ONE 172
Nadaka Yoshinari was one of eight Japanese fighters who emerged victorious at ONE 172, which marked the return of ONE Championship to the "Land of the Rising Sun" for the second straight year.
He joined Masaaki Noiri and Yuya Wakamatsu, who ended fight night as the interim featherweight kickboxing and flyweight MMA world champions, respectively, making the event highly successful for the hometown bets.
Noiri knocked out Thai superstar Tawanchai PK Saenchai in the third round of their battle for the interim featherweight belt while Wakamatsu stopped former flyweight MMA king Adriano Moraes by TKO in the first round of their title showdown for the vacant flyweight strap.
Other Japanese fighters who won at ONE 172 were Japanese legend Shinya Aoki (submission), former bantamweight kickboxing king Hiroki Akimoto (split decision), Shimon Yoshinari (unanimous decision), Hyu (knockout) and Ryusei (unanimous decision).