He beat Superlek an Petchtanong Petchfergus. He challenged Jonathan Haggerty for the belt and came up short. Now Yuki Yoza needs a win to stay in the title conversation. Standing across from him is the man who stopped John Lineker and proved himself one of the division’s most dangerous newcomers.
Yoza faces Ben “The Problem” Woolliss in a bantamweight kickboxing bout at The Inner Circle 22, streaming live for members at live.onefc.com from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, July 17.
The 28-year-old Japanese standout from Team Vasileus carries a 22-3 professional record and three ONE Championship wins into the contest. His title challenge against ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Haggerty at ONE SAMURAI 1 in April ended in a unanimous decision defeat.
Woolliss, 32, from Soma Fight Club, holds a 30-7 professional record and has established himself quickly since joining ONE. He dismantled former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion John Lineker with a first-round low-kick barrage at ONE Fight Night 41 in March and pushed former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Petchtanong through three competitive rounds at ONE Fight Night 43 in May before falling short on the scorecards.
Both men arrive having lost their most recent outings. Neither can afford a second consecutive defeat without serious damage to their title aspirations. The winner keeps the path to Haggerty open. The loser faces a longer rebuild.
What makes Yoza vs Woolliss a genuine stylistic puzzle at The Inner Circle 22
Yuki Yoza and Woolliss approach a fight from opposite ends of the tactical spectrum. Yoza builds through distance management, karate-based movement, explosive footwork, and precision low kicks that accumulate damage across rounds. He controls range, attacks from angles, and makes opponents pay for commitment.
Woolliss closes distance, applies pressure, and turns fights into sustained exchanges. His low-kick game is his most proven weapon. His durability and aggression mean he is always a threat to take over the later rounds. The question for July 17 is whether Yoza can keep Woolliss at the end of his range long enough to build a winning margin, or whether Woolliss can close the gap early and neutralize the distance game that makes Yoza so difficult to solve.
