Yoza Sets Sights On Haggerty Rematch After Woolliss Win

Yuki Yoza returned to the win column with a unanimous decision over Ben Woolliss in bantamweight kickboxing at The Inner Circle 22 on July 17, snapping a slide that began with his loss to Jonathan Haggerty in April.

The card streamed from Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium, and while Yoza secured the result, he told BJPenn.com afterward that he left performance on the table. "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," he said.

Yoza Targets Anane and Haggerty For Title Path

Haggerty is scheduled to defend his ONE Championship bantamweight kickboxing strap against Hiroki Akimoto at ONE SAMURAI 4 in October. Yoza has no plans to sit idle during that wait. When asked about his preferred next step, he named former ONE bantamweight Muay Thai champion Nabil Anane as the marquee matchup in the division. "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.

The bigger prize remains Haggerty, who handed Yoza a decision loss at ONE SAMURAI 1 in April. Yoza made his intentions clear in the post-fight interview, per BJPenn.com. "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."

Yoza credited Woolliss for the toughness he showed across three rounds in what turned into a grinding affair. A win over Anane would position the Japanese striker for another crack at Haggerty, likely in early 2027 if the champion gets past Akimoto.

Photo: Web Summit Qatar / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Original reporting:

• bjpenn.com — Yuki Yoza sets his sights on a path back to bantamweight gold | BJPenn.com