“Worried my mother” - Japanese sensation Yuki Yoza admits he was “too gentle” as a kid before he got into martial arts
Yuki Yoza wasn't always the marauding striker he is now.
Before becoming one of the world's best kickboxers, Yoza was a timid kid who even worried his mother because of his gentle demeanor.
Yoza detailed that his mother brought him to a karate dojo as a kid, and he eventually fell in love with the sport along with his younger brother.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Yuki Yoza said:
"I began karate at age six. This might sound funny coming from me, but I was actually too gentle back then, which worried my mother. She took me to a karate dojo, and I said I wanted to do it. My younger brother also practices karate."
That love for martial arts ultimately pushed Yoza to become one of his generation's best Kyokushin Karate artists.
Turning to professional kickboxing at the age of 21, Yoza steadily rose through the ranks and captured the K-1 Kickboxing lightweight title when he outclassed Taio Asahisa in 2023.
Yoza eventually relinquished his K-1 strap when he signed and debuted with ONE Championship this past week at ONE Friday Fights 109 against the previously unbeaten Elbrus Osmanov.
Their Bangkok showdown showed Yoza's evolution from the shy kid to the unstoppable striker he became throughout his professional career.
Yoza was methodical in beating Osmanov throughout the three-round fight, battering the Russian striker with calculated kicks to the midsection.
That surgical beatdown earned Yoza the collective nod of all three judges for the comfortable unanimous decision win.
Yuki Yoza admits he wasn't impressed with his ONE Championship debut victory
Although Yuki Yoza stamped his presence on the world stage this past week, the Japanese sensation admitted that he wasn't too pleased with how he captured his first win in ONE Championship.
In his post-fight interviews, Yoza said he wasn't able to show his entire arsenal in his dominant victory over Osmanov in Bangkok.
The 27-year-old added he would turn the aggression the next time he steps between the ropes. He said:
"No, it was totally bad. Really bad. Yes, I need a do-over."