‘It Ended Up As My Official Nickname’ – Hyu Reveals The Playful Origin Behind ‘Mister Pepper’ Ahead Of ONE SAMURAI 1
Undefeated Japanese sensation Hyu has built his reputation on speed, creativity, and a finishing instinct that rarely gives opponents time to settle into a fight.
The 23-year-old will face his compatriot Taiki “Silent Sniper” Naito in a flyweight kickboxing showdown at ONE SAMURAI 1 on April 29 inside Ariake Arena in Tokyo.
Across five wins in ONE Championship, Hyu has stopped four opponents, needing just 16 minutes in total to finish them. His karate foundation allows him to blend punches, kicks, knees, and even acrobatic techniques like the rolling thunder into a fluid and unpredictable offense.
Nothing about that resume, however, suggests a nickname like “Mister Pepper.” The story behind it begins far away from the spotlight, during his time training in Pattaya, Thailand.
The Team Mehdi Zatout and TEAM3K star explained:
“When I go to Thailand, my priority after training is always meat and rice. I didn’t know where to go at first, so the first place the team went together was Pepper Lunch.
“And from there I just kept going back. Every time.”
What started as a simple routine quickly became something his coach, Mehdi Zatout, turned into a running joke inside the gym.
Pepper Lunch, a Japanese casual chain restaurant known for its sizzling plates of beef, rice, and black pepper, became Hyu’s regular post-training spot. It was a small detail, but one that reflected the kind of habits teammates notice over time.
Zatout, who balances discipline with personality in his coaching approach, began calling him “Mister Pepper.” At first, it stayed within the team environment, nothing more than a light moment between sessions.
Hyu added:
“Then Mehdi started calling me ‘Mister Pepper’ as a joke. And somehow it ended up as my official nickname.
“I was actually thinking of keeping it secret because Mehdi submitted it himself without telling me.”
The Japanese contender had not planned for the nickname to reach a wider audience.
But Zatout had already registered the nickname for broadcast at ONE Fight Night 41 last March. By the time Hyu realized what had happened, it had already moved beyond an inside joke.
The reveal came at the last possible moment:
“I hadn’t noticed it at all. Like five minutes before I walked out, Mehdi was smirking at me and said ‘look at this’ – and there it was. ‘Mister Pepper.’”
Why Hyu Accepted His New Nickname
As Hyu continues making waves in the world’s largest martial arts organization, the nickname began to follow him everywhere. It appears on event graphics, in introductions, and across social media.
What began as something small quickly became part of how fans identified him, even as his performances inside the ring continued to define his rise.
Against previously undefeated Jordan Estupinan at ONE Fight Night 35, Hyu absorbed early pressure before finding his rhythm, dropping his opponent with a clean overhand left, following up with a jumping knee, and closing the show with a barrage of punches.
He carried that momentum into ONE Fight Night 41, where he knocked down Suablack Tor Pran49 three times in the opening round, mixing body shots and a perfectly timed spinning back kick to secure another emphatic stoppage and a US$50,000 bonus.
Despite the contrast between the nickname and his fighting style, Hyu has gradually come to accept it:
“I think I’m stuck with it. It’s not that I don’t like it. I would have preferred something cooler.
“Well, ‘Mister Pepper’ is easy to say and easy to remember, so there’s that. And pepper, that’s like chili pepper, right? Hot, intense – in that sense it kind of fits. So I’ve decided to just go with it.”
