"My body moved on its own" - Yuki Yoza relied on muscle memory to beat Superlek in impressive performance

The greatest performances happen when thinking stops and instinct takes over, and Yuki Yoza experienced exactly that against what was meant to be one of the toughest tests of his career.

The 27-year-old Japanese striking sensation delivered the most significant victory of his career with a dominant unanimous decision over pound-for-pound great 'The Kicking Machine' Superlek Kiatmoo9 in their bantamweight kickboxing showdown at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri on Sunday, Nov. 16, inside Tokyo's Ariake Arena.

The Team Vasileus representative took to his YouTube channel last week, admitting he barely remembers executing the game plan that stunned the ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion.

"Just the key points. My stamina was fine, and I wasn't out of breath at all. I think I played a really passive match. I don't remember anything at all. Karate is quite similar to this kind of feeling, but it was nothing. My body moved on its own," Yuki Yoza shared.

He walked Superlek down relentlessly across three rounds, picking him apart with precision combinations.

The victory extended his winning streak to 13 fights and improved his record to 22-2, positioning him as a legitimate contender for ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Jonathan Haggerty's throne.

More significantly, it marked the second consecutive defeat for Superlek at bantamweight following his loss to Nabil Anane at ONE 172 in March.

Watch the full interview on his YouTube channel here:

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Yuki Yoza talks about the mindset he brought into the Circle for Superlek clash

Victory against Superlek was far from guaranteed, so Yuki Yoza knew he had to amp himself up before marching towards the Circle for a tricky test against the Thai destroyer.

Speaking at the post-event press conference, the Team Vasileus man detailed how he hyped himself up in the moments leading up to his confident performance in Japan.

"Up until I stepped into this Circle, I kept the mindset that I was the weakest fighter on this planet, but as soon as I stepped in, I switched it up to saying that I'm the best. And going against Superlek, such an amazing opponent, I believed in myself, my team, and everyone who came to support me. Thank you, everybody," the 27-year-old recalled.