Hiroba Minowa Vs. Yuta Miyazawa, Kosei Yoshida Vs. Zhao Zhengdong Added To ONE SAMURAI 3
Two explosive matchups have been added to the growing card for ONE SAMURAI 3, which streams live from Yokohama Buntai in Yokohama, Japan, on Saturday, September 12.
Former Shooto Strawweight Champion Hiroba Minowa collides with Yuta Miyazawa in a high-stakes strawweight MMA showdown, while Kosei Yoshida meets Zhao Zhengdong in a pivotal flyweight kickboxing clash.
Minowa has been one of the quieter success stories in ONE Championship’s strawweight MMA division, racking up four impressive wins.
The STF martial artist’s résumé includes a hard-fought split decision over former ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Alex Silva — a remarkable result that still stands as one of the biggest scalps he has claimed.
His most recent outing only added to that case, as he earned a massive US$50,000 performance bonus with the ninth submission victory of his career via rear-naked choke against previously undefeated Karen Ghazaryan at ONE Fight Night 42 this past April.
That grappling pedigree is precisely what makes this matchup so intriguing, though. Miyazawa arrives with a very different game plan, and he brings world-class credentials that could make Minowa’s night at ONE SAMURAI 3 anything but routine.
The 32-year-old, who trains out of RESURGO MMA, steps into his highly anticipated promotional debut fresh off capturing the Pancrase Strawweight Championship this past March, extending his own winning streak to three.
A 17-fight winner built primarily around his concussive hands, the Japanese striking sensation will look to make Minowa work valiantly for every single takedown.
Elsewhere on the card, speed takes center stage when Yoshida meets Zhao in a highly anticipated battle that promises rapid-fire action from bell to bell.
The 20-year-old Yoshida enters the matchup chasing his 10th career victory, and few fighters on the roster have looked as sharp in short bursts as the Team Teppen product did during the start of his journey in the promotion.
He improved to 9-1 overall after four straight wins, a run capped by a thunderous third-round knockout of Hoang Gia Dai at ONE Friday Fights 156. In each of those pivotal exchanges, the Japanese dynamo displayed lightning-quick footwork and world-class shot selection.
That run hit a speed bump against Liu Junchao last time out, but a single setback has done little to dim his extraordinary confidence as he bravely seeks to return to winning ways in his first fight on home soil under the ONE spotlight.
Standing in his way is a Chinese phenom who has been every bit as efficient since arriving on the global stage. Zhao’s perfect 3-0 promotional slate includes an explosive third-round finish of Keisuke Monguchi and unanimous decision wins over Yonis Anane and Eduard Markarian.
Carrying a stellar 29-5 record into this one, the Sheng Li Ren He representative rarely lets a fight settle into a predictable pattern, expertly shifting angles and refusing to stay still long enough for an opponent to find his masterfully timed rhythm.
Two remarkable fighters, one shared refusal to slow down. Whoever adapts quickest to the other’s rhythm may tip the scales and hold the real advantage once the two trade heavy leather at ONE SAMURAI 3 inside Yokohama Buntai on September 12.
Stay tuned to onefc.com for the latest on ONE SAMURAI 3.
