‘It Lit An Even Bigger Fire’ — Shimon Yoshinari Breaks Down Stunning Body Shot KO Over Suablack At ONE SAMURAI 3
Fresh off capturing a coveted six-figure contract a few months ago, Shimon Yoshinari returned to the fray at ONE SAMURAI 3 and came out the other side completely unscathed.
The 22-year-old Japanese prodigy stopped Thai veteran Suablack Tor Pran49 with a devastating liver blow knockout at 1:28 of round two in their flyweight Muay Thai bout on Saturday, September 12, at Yokohama Buntai.
The drama, however, began long before the first punch was thrown. Suablack had missed the contracted weight — a breach of professionalism that naturally carried its own sting. What genuinely inflamed Yoshinari, however, was the Thai veteran’s reaction, or rather, the glaring absence of one. Where remorse might have been expected, Suablack offered only casual indifference.
Rather than unsettling the young Eiwa Sports Gym standout, that deliberate nonchalance ignited something intensely purposeful that burned from the moment the opening bell rang.
He shared:
“He had missed weight, but he was still acting very casual and smiling about it. That made me think, ‘I’m definitely going to get him,’ and it lit an even bigger fire under me. In that sense, it worked out well.”
Even running on a stellar five-fight promotional winning streak, questions lingered around the Japanese standout heading into the bout. Suablack was a battle-hardened veteran who had previously competed at bantamweight, bringing an intimidating physical presence and legitimate concerns about a potential size and strength discrepancy.
The opening exchanges answered every single one of those questions. The Yokohama native absorbed Suablack’s best strikes without flinching and immediately sent a violent message of his own, dropping the Thai with a thunderous teep to the ribs for a standing eight-count.
The former WBC Muay Thai World Champion explained:
“He had previously competed a division above me, so I expected him to feel very big. But once we faced each other, I didn’t feel that I was losing the physical battle or the power battle.
“I was able to do what I wanted to do, and the result came out the way we had trained for, so I am happy.”
Another pinpoint left hook to the midsection in the second round put Suablack out of his misery, and a dangerous new flyweight contender emphatically announced himself to the world. The highlight-reel finish was not a product of raw rage, but rather deliberate, clinical precision.
Earlier in the evening, teammate Ryuya Okuwaki scored an identical body-shot knockout, while Shimon’s cousin, ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka Yoshinari, utilized relentless body combinations to emerge victorious in the main event. At the Yokohama-based camp, targeting the torso is not merely a tactic — it is a deeply ingrained philosophy.
He added:
“The game plan from the beginning was to invest in the body. It worked, and that is how I got the finish.
“If you can find the opening and land when the opponent is relaxed or not expecting it, body shots are extremely effective. I think everyone from our team did a good job of finding those moments tonight.”
Yoshinari Proves He Is Ready To Take Over
Shimon Yoshinari’s main roster debut could not have gone any better, making it abundantly clear that the flyweight Muay Thai division has a serious new problem on its hands.
Annihilating a veteran of Suablack’s standing validated not just the hard-earned contract, but every grueling step of the journey that earned it. It carried the unmistakable feel of a promise being kept.
He stated:
“I am happy to win after earning the contract, and because my opponent was a well-known fighter, I am especially happy that I was able to finish him.”
With a 27-1 overall record and a flawless 6-0 ONE Championship mark, the flyweight Muay Thai World Title conversation surrounding Yoshinari has become impossible to ignore.
He approaches what comes next with the exact same measured intelligence he carried into the biggest win of his career: unhurried, clear-eyed, and absolutely certain of where this road leads.
Yoshinari concluded:
“From here, I am focused only on the flyweight belt. Winning is the most important thing. Beyond that, I want an opponent and a fight that allow me to make a clear case for a title shot.”
