A four-bout streak of victories goes head-to-head with championship credentials as two distinct athletic journeys cross paths at ONE SAMURAI 3.
A strawweight MMA battle features Hiroba Minowa squaring off against Yuta Miyazawa during the ONE SAMURAI 3 broadcast, streaming live from Yokohama Buntai in Yokohama, Japan, on Saturday, September 12.
Since cementing his status in the weight class, Minowa has racked up four consecutive triumphs, highlighted by a split-decision nod over ex-ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Alex Silva and his ninth professional submission win against the formerly unbeaten Karen Ghazaryan this April, a feat that netted him a $50,000 performance bonus.
Miyazawa enters the cage boasting 17 career victories and the Pancrase Strawweight Title he claimed this past March, carrying a three-fight winning run into his highly anticipated ONE Championship promotional debut.
This pairing serves as yet another high-stakes challenge on an already impressive record. Following his initial promotional outing in 2020, Minowa has regularly shared the cage with top-five contenders, a stretch that features matchups against a pair of former ONE Strawweight MMA World Champions.
A brand new challenge awaits Hiroba Minowa’s record
The elite grappling background of Hiroba Minowa presents an intriguing stylistic puzzle, particularly because Miyazawa relies heavily on his striking power rather than a wrestling-heavy style, with his 17 pro wins showcasing notable finishing power in a division historically dominated by ground specialists. Because four of Minowa’s victories under the ONE banner have been secured via judges’ scorecards or submissions instead of knockouts, he will likely attempt to exploit this tactical contrast right from the opening bell.
In other action, a flyweight kickboxing clash pits Kosei Yoshida and his 9-1 record (riding a four-bout winning streak) against Zhao Zhengdong, who remains undefeated at 3-0 within the promotion. While Yoshida aims to secure his tenth professional win on home turf, he will have to overcome the highly seasoned Zhao, whose overall record of 29-5 represents the more experienced background of the two. This bout also marks Yoshida’s return to the Yokohama Buntai arena, where the local crowd will watch him attempt to bounce back from his last decision loss.
Originally published on BJPENN.COM
