ONE Championship’s Friday Fights 109 gave us the promotional debut of Japanese kickboxing powerhouse and former K1 champion Yuki Yoza. At simply 27 years outdated, Yoza has achieved wonderful issues in fight sports activities, changing into the youngest-ever Kyokushin Weight World champion at 19. His transition to kickboxing has been dominant and supplied limitless footage for the spotlight reel.
The place this struggle was totally different to the debut fights ONE championship organized for different migrating Japanese kickboxers is that, in contrast to Superlek, who fought Takeru at ONE 165, or Sittachai, who welcomed Masaaki Noiri at ONE 167, Yuki Yoza’s opponent Elbrus ‘The Samurai’ Osmanov is just not practically as achieved or skilled. He’s, nevertheless, a really spectacular prospect, with an (on the time) undefeated file, who had already racked up 6 dominant wins in opposition to fighters already signed with the promotion, so he would nonetheless assist reply whether or not Yuki Yoza was succesful or able to struggle the present stage of opposition at ONE. Though I’m positive some would argue how he dealt with their former champion Petchdam Petchyindee Academy at K1 World MAX final 12 months answered that sufficiently.
Yuki Yoza’s model
Yuki Yoza has freedom along with his kick recreation that goes past merely having a standard martial arts background. He’ll kick your legs in ten extra methods than you’ve ever kicked a leg earlier than. Outdoors thigh kicks and calf kicks, inside pendulum kicks, kicks around the aspect of the leg with the ball of his foot, that very same motion however nearer so you possibly can hook behind the foot and journey them, stepping snap kicks to the again thigh, teeps to each thighs, kicks below the hamstring utilizing the large toe, the checklist is seemingly limitless. He performs them together and with a minimal sample, complimented with feints and a willingness to carry that shin or knee as much as the dome or liver. His timing with these strikes can also be essential, as he’ll usually assault the legs while the opponent is kicking, or when they’re checking. Since they’re on one leg, attacking the rear leg throughout this window will do extra harm, and will doubtlessly sweep them, though sweeps should not technically authorized in kickboxing. I recall one time just a few years again, I sparred with an older man who had been doing kickboxing for a few years. He threw an axe kick which I pulled out of vary to keep away from, and while it was within the air he moved barely off an angle and introduced his heel down on the highest of my thigh. It made my leg utterly useless, and I wasn’t even positive what occurred. That is what the typical Yuki Yoza opponent should undergo each time he faces somebody, simply this time with the worst intentions on the large stage. He’s a type of kinds of fighters that’s unimaginable to correctly put together for, as they’re so essentially unorthodox. Very unpredictable in shot choice, no matter his very predictable recreation plan.
The Struggle
This struggle, nevertheless, showcased a a lot easier skillset from Yuki. Extremely aggressive as at all times, however he rattling close to threw the left calf kick for 9 minutes straight, largely as a result of Osmanov appeared to have by no means seen the kick earlier than in his life.
Osmanov’s motion was actually good within the first spherical, transferring outdoors that lead leg each time Yuki Yoza threw a physique kick, and resetting again in direction of the middle of the ring. Yoza additionally received caught with a few explosive jump-back kicks, however as soon as Yoza began throwing the calf kick, he discovered it simpler and simpler to ring reduce and again Osmanov right into a nook. He would throw it to hit the within of the left shin if he’s orthodox or the surface of the suitable if he’s southpaw, with a reasonably reckless abandonment of his personal leg well being, as a whole lot of these kicks appeared shin to shin. He additionally threw a few good ones breaking out of the clinch.
He was so affected person and disciplined, refusing to have interaction him in another approach, that till the top of the third he barely by way of something above the physique. The second spherical felt like watching a Kyokushin match, with each fighters simply standing and buying and selling physique photographs. Osmanov’s solely ‘resolution’ from right here was to step into boxing mixtures, for which he would get calf kicked, or he would explode into some variable leaping/spinning assault, to which he could be once more calf kicked, after which fall flat on his again. This occurred like 5 occasions. At any time when he feinted to arrange the boxing, went to physique kick from far vary or threw leg kicks again, he had extra success, however by the second spherical he was damage a lot he would flinch 2–3 occasions from a step feint.
If calf kicks weren’t thought-about part of the kickboxing meta earlier than, they positive at the moment are.
Japanese Kickboxing in ONE Championship
Takeru and Masaaki Noiri’s mistake at ONE is trucking ahead, making an attempt to beat opponents utilizing heavy hitting and ahead stress. This works effectively in K1 and on the Japanese circuit as any model with its routes in karate, Dutch kickboxing included, tends to be worse at staying protected on the within. They’re good at shelling up and retaining sturdy in boxing vary, and in opposition to fighters who thrive off being out of vary, this may work effectively. See both of the fights between Raymond Daniels and Nieky Holzken for reference. Nonetheless, with the character of Muay Thai and the clinch, Muay Thai fighters are very used to tying as much as avert this stress after which circling whereas retaining in vary. Even in kickboxing the place the clinch is just not allowed, they’re used to assembly the oncoming fighter virtually nostril to nostril, then transferring laterally as soon as they break. That is a part of why Noiri discovered extra success in opposition to Tawanchai, as he has an uncommon Muay Thai model that focuses extra on retaining that distance. Marching ahead and making an attempt to land massive knockout mixtures in opposition to the ropes is mostly a nasty tactic in opposition to a great Thai fighter.
On this struggle, Elbrus Osmanov, though primarily a kickboxer, got here out with these similar ways and employed them successfully till he received damage. This speaks to the effectiveness of a extra reserved strategy and the success of Staff Vasileus’ recreation planning. This struggle’s recreation plan was virtually definitely influenced by what the workforce has realized by way of Takeru and Noiri’s different fights within the promotion. Throwing fingers when your opponent is hell-bent on kicking could be a good suggestion, however when the strikes are leads, like calf kicks and teeps, it may be onerous to get the punches off and dictate the tempo. Permitting your opponent to strike from thus far out of vary means you need to transfer in to succeed in them with boxing and your counters will simply be too sluggish. You must work your approach into boxing in these sorts of fights, particularly when the opponent’s timing is as exact as Yuki Yoza’s. It’s straightforward to say he ought to have fought lighter on the entrance foot and labored the kicks extra, however that’s probably not how he fights. All Osmanov must do is get again in there and get extra expertise. He’s solely 23 years outdated and reveals a whole lot of promise tactically and athletically. He simply doesn’t have the expertise to take care of somebody like Yuki Yoza. He positively ought to have began checking although.
Regardless, it’s a really thrilling time for Japanese kickboxing. Yuki Yoza has referred to as out virtually everything of the ONE roster already and says he desires Superlek. Actually, give him whoever I wish to see any of these matchups. Not Nabil but although. If he can kick him like this, then the child may by no means stroll once more.
