Yuki Yoza admits Superlek’s ironclad defense threw him off a little: “I kept pushing until I was bleeding”

Former K-1 champion Yuki Yoza walked out of ONE 173 with the biggest victory of his career.

ON Sunday, Nov. 16, the Team Vasileus star claimed a unanimous decision over pound-for-pound great 'The Kicking Machine' Superlek Kiatmoo9 inside Tokyo's Ariake Arena.

During his post-fight interview on his official YouTube channel, the 27-year-old Japanese striker admitted the Thai legend's defensive approach created problems he hadn't fully anticipated.

"It doesn't matter. I kept pushing until I was bleeding. Superlek was more cautious than I thought and didn't come out at all, which made it difficult. I knew he wouldn't be cautious, but that made it even more creepy," Yuki Yoza shared.

That's the interesting part about fighting elite-level opponents—they adapt.

Superlek, who reigns as the ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion, built his legendary career on aggressive forward pressure, technical brilliance in the pocket, and an offensive output that overwhelms opponents before they can establish rhythm.

But at ONE 173, the Thai striking genius brought a different plan, but Yoza's aggression was enough to catapult him to victory, the 13th straight triumph of his career.

Watch his full post-fight breakdown on his YouTube channel here:

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Yuki Yoza's perfect run in ONE is a clear sign that he's ready to claim gold

Yuki Yoza has been handed three tough opponents on the global stage, and he's aced all of them to perfection.

In his promotional bow, the Japanese slugger handed Russian dynamo Elbrus Osmanov the first loss of his career by unanimous decision in May 2025.

Slightly less than two months later, former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Petchtanong Petchfergus fell victim to Yoza's tricky striking arsenal.

The 40-year-old was largely outplayed by the Team Vasileus man across three rounds inside the Mecca of Muay Thai and suffered a defeat on the judges' scorecards.

With another man who wears ONE gold out of the way, one question emerges: Has he finally earned his crack at bantamweight kickboxing king Jonathan Haggerty? The answer is YES.

The 27-year-old has proved his worth, and his style could well be the Englishman's kryptonite.

Fight fans who missed any of the action from ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri can head to live.onefc.com to secure their PPV replay passes.