5 Electrifying Reasons To Watch ONE SAMURAI 3 On September 12
ONE Championship’s ONE SAMURAI 3 in Yokohama on September 12 features elite martial arts bouts, including Nadaka Yoshinari’s kickboxing debut and a flyweight MMA rematch with title implications.
ONE Championship returns to Japan with ONE SAMURAI 3 at Yokohama Buntai on September 12, showcasing a stacked card headlined by elite combat sports action. The event features a headline clash as reigning ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka Yoshinari steps into kickboxing against Myanmar’s Har Ling Om, aiming to extend his dominance beyond Muay Thai. The co-main event pits former ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion Yuya Wakamatsu against Willie van Rooyen in a flyweight bout with potential title implications, following Wakamatsu’s recent loss to the division’s current champion.
Nadaka Yoshinari, the 25-year-old Eiwa Sports Gym product, enters kickboxing with a flawless 5-0 record in ONE and a historic run as the only non-Thai to win Rajadamnern and Lumpinee Stadium World Titles. His opponent, Har Ling Om, brings relentless forward pressure and raw physicality, offering a stark contrast to Yoshinari’s technical southpaw style. A victory for Yoshinari would position him among ONE’s elite two-sport champions, while a win for Har Ling Om would elevate his global profile.
Yuya Wakamatsu seeks redemption after losing the ONE Flyweight MMA World Title to Avazbek Kholmirzaev at ONE SAMURAI 1, returning with a desire to reclaim the belt. His opponent, Willie van Rooyen, aims to derail Wakamatsu’s comeback and stake a claim as the division’s rising force, following his emphatic third-round TKO of Jeremy Miado at ONE Fight Night 41. The bout carries significant stakes, with the winner potentially earning a rematch against Kholmirzaev, the reigning champion.
Shimon Yoshinari and Hyu Iwata headline the regional talent, with Shimon making his promotional debut after securing a US$100,000 contract following a fifth consecutive victory. He faces Suablack Tor Pran49, a seasoned Thai veteran with 63 career wins, in a flyweight kickboxing matchup. Meanwhile, Hyu Iwata returns after his first career defeat, seeking to prove his earlier setback was an anomaly against debutant Hyuma Hitachi, a RISE Super Featherweight Champion stepping into the global stage.