Connect with us

MMA

Yuki Yoza sets his sights on a path back to bantamweight gold

Published

3 weeks ago

on

Yuki Yoza sets his sights on a path back to bantamweight gold

A rebound win is one thing. Turning it into a genuine path back to gold is another matter entirely.

Yuki Yoza powered past Ben Woolliss to score a hard-fought unanimous decision in bantamweight kickboxing action at The Inner Circle 22 on Friday, July 17. The card streamed live for subscribers from Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium.

The win snapped a rough stretch that began with a unanimous decision loss to reigning ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Haggerty at ONE SAMURAI 1 this past April. Yoza did not walk away from Friday's fight fully satisfied with his performance, crediting Woolliss for the grit he showed throughout a grueling battle.

“I'm relieved that I was able to finish with a win. But in terms of the performance, I still have a long way to go. It felt like I was able to execute about half of what I prepared,†Yoza said.

Yuki Yoza names the two fights he wants most

Yuki Yoza's win matters far more than the record alone. Haggerty is already confirmed to defend his undisputed crown against Hiroki Akimoto at ONE SAMURAI 4 this October, and Yoza has no intention of watching that fight from the sidelines.

When asked what comes next, Yoza did not hesitate to name the two fights he wants most, starting with former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nabil Anane.

“When you think of a major name in the division, Nabil is probably the first one who comes to mind. If I receive the offer, I will absolutely fight him,†Yoza said.

“As for Haggerty, my goal is not simply to earn another chance. I want to take the belt from Haggerty. I will make my way back there. I will catch him and surpass him.â€

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

MMA

Next up? Islam Makhachev names most deserving title challenger

Published

4 hours ago

on

August 17, 2026

By

Next up? Islam Makhachev names most deserving title challenger
Islam
Makhachev has named the ideal next challenger for his
Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title.

Makhachev retained his belt with a hard-fought victory over
Ian
Garry at UFC
330 in Philadelphia. The Russian revealed that Carlos
Prates is the preferred next opponent after recording his first
title defense at welterweight.

Islam Makhachev backs Carlos Prates for next UFC welterweight
title shot

Prates and Michael
Morales, who were both in attendance at UFC 330, are in the
running for the next title shot, with Makhachev believing the
Brazilian currently has the stronger case. He dismissed Shavkat
Rakhmonov, who's been sidelined with injuries since December
2024, and Morales, who hasn't been as active as Prates.

“If you ask me today, Shavkat [Rakhmonov] is not fighting; Prates
is still fighting, still active,†Makhachev said during the
Paramount+ post-fight show. “Morales also is good, but I don't
remember the last time he fought. If you ask who is more deserving,
I think Carlos Prates.â€

Morales and Rakhmonov are both unbeaten, while Prates holds a
record of 24-7. The latter's last loss came against Garry in April
2025, but he has remained active since then, picking up finishes
against Geoff Neal
and two former champs: Leon
Edwards and Jack
Della Maddalena.

Continue Reading

MMA

Mackenzie Dern names three potential opponents following UFC 330 win

Published

5 hours ago

on

August 17, 2026

By

Mackenzie Dern names three potential opponents following UFC 330 win
Mackenzie
Dern has already started looking ahead after defending her

Ultimate Fighting Championship title.

Dern (17-5) thoroughly outclassed Gillian
Robertson at UFC
330, using her grappling to secure a unanimous decision and
retain the strawweight belt in Philadelphia. She's now name-dropped
who could be next in line for a title shot.

Mackenzie Dern names Weili Zhang, Tatiana Suarez and Lupita
Godinez as possible UFC title challengers

When asked in a post-fight interview who she could face next, Dern
initially admitted she's unsure. She claimed the next challenger
for the 115-pound throne could be Tatiana
Suarez (12-1), Lupita
Godinez (14-6), or former champ Weili Zhang
(26-4).

“I know there's Tatiana, Weili… Who else? Lupita could be coming up
pretty soon,†Dern said.

Godinez is unlikely next in line, having lost three of her last
five bouts. Moreover, the Mexican contender has already lost to
Dern.

Suarez previously challenged for UFC gold, losing to Zhang in
February last year. The former then bounced back with two wins,
beating Amanda
Lemos and Godinez. Meanwhile, Zhang vacated the title after
beating Suarez to challenge for the women's flyweight title, but
lost to current 125-pound queen Valentina
Shevchenko.

Continue Reading

MMA

Dana White seemingly frustrated by ‘f*cking saga’ booking Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua: ‘They either want to fight or they don’t’

Published

6 hours ago

on

August 17, 2026

By

Dana White seemingly frustrated by ‘f*cking saga’ booking Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua: ‘They either want to fight or they don’t’

Talks have been ongoing for months to book Tyson Fury against Anthony Joshua in one of the most anticipated boxing matches of the past decade but there's still no final word on when or if the matchup is actually going to happen.

UFC CEO Dana White has been involved as one of the main promoters for the fight but the back and forth between the fighters and their camps make it seem like the bout is far from a done deal. From arguments over locations to the timing for the fight, Fury and Joshua both say they want the matchup to happen but it's impossible to know right now if it's more fantasy or reality.

For his part, White is seemingly growing frustrated over the whole ordeal or perhaps it's just the sheer amount of questions he gets asked about the event whenever Fury or Joshua's camp make some bold declaration about plans for the fight.

“This f*cking saga, we'll see how this whole thing plays out,†White said about Fury vs. Joshua at the UFC 330 post-fight press conference. “They either want to fight or they don't. I didn't do [Anthony Joshua's] contract. We did the television deal and the venue deal. We'll see.

“Listen to make a fight, two guys have to want to fight. Period. End of story. Contracts and this and that — there's a lot of f*cking money up for grabs in this fight. Do you want to fight or do you not want to fight? I don't give a shit one way or the other. It's up to them.â€

The latest impasse appears to center around the location for the fight with Joshua apparently insisting the bout happens in England after rumors swirled that the event is most likely headed to America.

But none of that talk interests White, who boils everything down to Fury and Joshua deciding whether or not they actually want to fight each other and then the rest of the details can get figured out.

“Listen, I don't give a shit,†White said “Do you want to fight or do you not want to fight? The fight should have happened 10 years ago. Is it going to happen now? We'll see.â€

Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending