"His technical ability is genius and amazing" - Yuki Yoza praises Petchtanong's skills ahead of ONE Friday Fights 116

Yuki Yoza has nothing but respect for his upcoming opponent, though he believes he has the perfect strategy to neutralize Petchtanong Petchfergus in their bantamweight kickboxing tilt today, July 18.

Their scheduled three-round fight will be part of ONE Friday Fights 116 inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and both fighters will use this fixture to secure a potential world title shot.

Yoza is fully aware of the stakes surrounding their contest, and confidence aside, he has full respect for what the former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion brings to the table.

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"His technical ability is genius and amazing. But I can use my 'hurt' style in this fight, there won't be a problem," Yuki Yoza shared on his official YouTube channel.

In the same clip, the Team Vasileus warrior revealed that he's extensively studied Petchtanong's southpaw stance and preferred fighting range, identifying key areas where he can exploit.

"Southpaws love their distance. So if I close in hard and attack, it'll be hard for him to attack from a distance. It all depends on how early I can close in," Yoza continued. "If I close in too much, Petchtanong is good at hitting, so I may risk losing points."

The former K-1 champion's respectful acknowledgement of his Thai foe's technical brilliance, combined with his world-class arsenal, sets up an intriguing tactical battle between two striking technicians.

More importantly, the 27-year-old's awareness of the risks involved shows the kind of tactical maturity that could prove decisive when they tango in a matter of hours.

Watch the full clip on Yoza's YouTube channel here:

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Yuki Yoza ready to bring the heat in Lumpinee barnburner

In a separate interview with the promotion ahead of fight night, Yuki Yoza also shared that he believes he can outsmart his legendary Thai foe.

Above all, he is dreaming of shutting him down to register his first knockout in ONE Championship.

"I don't think his fight IQ is superior to mine. I'm confident I will win by KO. I want to prove that I am the real deal," he offered.

ONE Friday Fights 116 will air live in Asia primetime on ONE Championship's official YouTube channel, the ONE Super App, and watch.onefc.com.

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Edited by Aziel Karthak