Shimon Yoshinari has spent every minute of his young career building toward one specific goal. After the statement he made at ONE SAMURAI 3, that goal now sits firmly within touching distance, or so he thinks.
He stopped Thai striker Suablack Tor Pran49 via first-round KO in a flyweight Muay Thai showdown at ONE SAMURAI 3 inside Yokohama Buntai in Yokohama, Japan on Saturday, September 12.
It was one of the most emphatic statements of the 22-year-old’s career, and it has set the perfect stage for the run at ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title gold he has been quietly plotting all along.
The road to that dominant finish, however, started long before the opening bell.
Shimon and his corner had spent every minute of camp identifying exactly how Suablack was going to be dismantled. The blueprint was to invest heavily in the body, wait patiently for the right moment, and pounce the moment the Thai lowered his guard:
“The game plan from the beginning was to invest in the body. It worked, and that is how I got the finish. If you can find the opening and land when the opponent is relaxed or not expecting it, body shots are extremely effective. I think everyone from our team did a good job of finding those moments tonight.”
Executing the game plan was one layer of satisfaction. Doing it against a name of Suablack’s calibre carried an entirely different kind of weight for Shimon.
The Japanese destroyer had earned his life-changing US$100,000 main roster contract earlier this year at ONE SAMURAI 1 with a decision triumph over Malaysian sensation Johan Ghazali.
Following that big-stage debut with an emphatic finish over a well-known Thai contender was exactly the kind of statement he had been chasing. He added:
“I am happy to win after earning the contract, and because my opponent was a well-known fighter, I am especially happy that I was able to finish him.”
Shimon Yoshinari sets his sights firmly on ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title gold
Shimon Yoshinari is done thinking small. With the biggest win of his career now firmly in the books, the Japanese star has narrowed his entire focus onto the one prize that matters most.
The 21-year-old has emerged as one of the most exciting rising names in the entire ONE flyweight Muay Thai division, with his trademark power, tactical brilliance, and quiet composure marking him out as a genuine future world title threat.
Reigning ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Asadula Imangazaliev sits at the top of the mountain, and he fully intends to make his climb up the ranks completely undeniable.
The 22-year-old made his ambition clear. He shared:
“From here, I am focused only on the flyweight belt. Winning is the most important thing.”
