One defeat is not going to derail the impact Hyu plans to make on the future landscape of ONE Championship.
This coming Saturday, September 12, Hyu is scheduled to clash with RISE Super Featherweight titleholder Hyuma Hitachi in a flyweight kickboxing encounter at the Yokohama Buntai in Yokohama, Japan.
The 23-year-old fighter suffered his inaugural decision loss in professional competition against Taiki Naito at ONE SAMURAI 1 in April. He blames this outcome solely on a loss of focus rather than the strategy of his adversary. Before this speed bump, the karate black belt, who switched to kickboxing when he was 19, had accumulated a solid 5-1 track record within ONE Championship.
“I feel disappointed in how I handled myself, failing to maintain my focus until the final bell,” Hyu expressed. “That experience has only fueled my hunger to return and make a statement.”
With the swift expansion of ONE SAMURAI, domestic competitors in Japan now enjoy frequent chances to perform on their home turf—a development Hyu never anticipated when he initially joined the roster.
“Lately, there is a lot of buzz among combat sports enthusiasts regarding the ‘new wave’ of athletes, and I believe it is my responsibility to be at the forefront of ONE SAMURAI,” he remarked.
Hyu Iwata sets sights on Di Bella and Naito rematch in the future
Overcoming Hitachi, the 28-year-old RISE titleholder making his first appearance in ONE, is just his first step. Hyu is already looking at key opponents who could shape his journey back up the flyweight kickboxing ranks, specifically targeting a second fight with Naito and a possible matchup against strawweight king Jonathan Di Bella.
Each of these matchups offers a high-profile opportunity that could propel him straight back into the title contention he enjoyed prior to his defeat against Naito.
“My objective is to continuously defeat those who are currently in the championship conversation,” noted Hyu.
“I definitely feel motivated to test myself against one of those top names as soon as possible.”
