Petchtanong Vs. Yuki Yoza High-Stakes Bantamweight Kickboxing Clash Booked For ONE Friday Fights 116

A bantamweight kickboxing showdown with major implications for the World Title picture has been announced for ONE Friday Fights 116.

On July 18 in Asia primetime, former K-1 Champion Yuki Yoza will return for his sophomore appearance in the world’s largest martial arts organization to face former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Petchtanong Petchfergus at the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

An impressive win for either man could earn him a crack at reigning ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan “The General” Haggerty.

Already an established superstar in his native Japan, the 27-year-old Yoza arrived in ONE earlier this year with plenty of well-deserved fanfare and high expectations.

The hard-hitting Team Vasileus representative wasted no time living up to the hype.

In his promotional debut in May at ONE Friday Fights 109, Yoza employed a devastating kicking game to dismantle Elbrus Osmanov over the course of three rounds, halting the Russian phenom’s undefeated professional run.

That victory erased any doubt that Yoza belongs among the best. He’ll now look to establish his place among the division’s upper echelon by taking out a former titleholder and the current #3-ranked contender.

At 39 years old, Petchtanong still looks to be at the top of his game.

Renowned for his expert timing and supreme technical mastery, the Thai claimed the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title back in 2022 with a hard-fought decision win over Hiroki Akimoto.

He would then take an extended stay on the sidelines due to a suspension, only to return in the summer of 2024 with a sensational second-round stoppage victory over fellow former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Alaverdi Ramazanov.

Now ranked near the top of the division, Petchtanong has had a couple of high-profile fights fall through, but he remains hungrier than ever to reclaim the 26 pounds of gold – and a win over Yoza is critical to those aspirations.

Given the elite skills and championship pedigrees on both sides of this matchup, fans are in for a treat when Petchtanong and Yoza share the iconic Lumpinee Stadium ring.

Stay tuned to onefc.com for more news about ONE Friday Fights 116 on July 18.