With Yuki Yoza’s ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title shot against Jonathan Haggerty fast approaching at ONE SAMURAI 1 on April 29 inside Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Yoza is riding a wave of momentum that has now reached one of combat sports' most influential voices.
The veteran commentator and host of The Joe Rogan Experience recently declared Yoza "one of my favourite guys to watch right now," sending a buzz through the combat sports community.
For the 28-year-old Japanese fighter, the praise came as a genuine surprise.
"I didn't actually know about it at first, but people who saw it kept sending it to me. Honestly, I'm really happy about it. It makes me feel like people like that are finally starting to notice me," Yoza revealed.
Yoza's rise has been impossible to ignore. Since his ONE debut, the former K-1 Champion has posted a perfect 3-0 ONE record, taking out some of the division's biggest names along the way.
His victory over reigning ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Superlek last year was a statement performance that resonated far beyond Japan, and Yoza acknowledges the role that win played in expanding his profile.
"Of course, fighting someone like Superlek also helped bring attention. But being able to show those kinds of fights to the world has given me a lot of confidence. Someone like Joe Rogan, who's well known around the world, knowing about me makes me really happy," he said.
Now carrying a 22-2 career record into the biggest fight of his life, Yoza faces a champion in Haggerty who brings his own formidable credentials.
But Yoza is not looking past the belt. The growing global spotlight, fuelled in part by Rogan's endorsement, only adds to the occasion. And if the podcast invite ever materialises, the Japanese star is more than ready to make that appearance too.
"Of course, if the opportunity comes, I'd definitely love to appear on Joe Rogan's podcast," the Japanese star concluded.
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