“We'll do it again someday” - Yuki Yoza says it may not be the last time he faces Elbrus Osmanov
Japanese kickboxer Yuki Yoza had a convincing victory in his ONE Championship debut last week over Elbrus Osmanov. He, however, sees himself running it back against the Russian down the line.
The former K-1 campaigner was a unanimous decision winner over 'The Samurai' in their featured bantamweight kickboxing clash at ONE Friday Fights 109 on May 23 at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
On his way to the victory in his promotional debut, Yoza showcased his trademark kick attacks that inflicted a lot of damage to the legs and body of Osmanov. It considerably helped his cause in getting the nod of all the judges in the end.
In his post-fight analysis on his official YouTube channel, Yuki Yoza shared his openness to take on Osmanov once again considering how competitive their match went down. The 27-year-old Team Vasileus affiliate said:
"I was sure we would definitely face each other at some point, so I guess it's good that we could win the first match. But I think we'll do it again someday. I feel like we're going to be rivals."
Check out what he had to say below:
Yuki Yoza says Elbrus Osmanov exceeded his expectations
Yuki Yoza said Elbrus Osmanov exceeded his expectations at ONE Friday Fights 109, particularly the power that the rising Russian star packed at fight night.
Yoza made the revelation in an interview with ONE Championship following his victory, citing that while he was able to handle the speed of Osmanov, his power was something he had to endure and work against. He said:
"As for speed, I was able to handle it, but his offensive power exceeded my imagination. It's the first time someone has exceeded my expectations."
The win at ONE Friday Fights 109 extended Yoza's current winning streak to 11 straight matches. Osmanov, meanwhile, absorbed his first defeat in seven matches under ONE Championship.
The replay of ONE Friday Fights 109 is available on ONE Championship's YouTube channel, the ONE Super App, and watch.onefc.com. Geo-restrictions may apply.