‘I Saw Him Drop In Slow Motion’ — Nadaka Yoshinari Dissects Stunning Knockout Of Rifdean Masdor At ONE SAMURAI 4

Greatness often reveals itself in fractions of a second. Reigning ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka Yoshinari proved that once again at ONE SAMURAI 4, where his insatiable perfectionism continued to push him to levels others simply cannot reach.

The 25-year-old Japanese megastar knocked out Malaysian challenger Rifdean “Magic Boy” Masdor with a devastating left head kick at 0:58 of round two on Saturday, October 17, inside Tokyo’s iconic Ariake Arena. The event streamed live for subscribers at live.onefc.com.

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For Nadaka, the stakes ran much deeper than simply retaining the gold. His kickboxing debut against Har Ling Om at ONE SAMURAI 3 last month ended in a comfortable unanimous decision, but it left the ruthless self-critic quietly unsatisfied. He returned to “the art of eight limbs” absolutely determined to make a far louder statement.

Masdor provided the perfect canvas. The six-figure contract winner arrived riding a fierce five-bout winning streak, brimming with dangerous confidence. Ineligible to win the belt after missing weight, the Sor Sommai and Sor Kitrungroj product was determined to cause a monumental upset regardless.

Nadaka told onefc.com:

“Last time, I wasn’t really happy with my performance. So this time, I thought I’d bring all of that kind of dissatisfaction from the last fight into this fight.

“My opponent was very strong. But because of that, I think the fight was really entertaining, and it was just a great fight overall. And that technique that I finished him with, it’s one that I had practiced.”

The Malaysian striker came out uninhibited, unleashing his signature spinning backfist with reckless aggression and instantly drawing blood from the champion’s nose.

Those blitzing strikes carried legitimate fight-ending power, but in a moment of sheer poetic justice, the exact weapon that gave Nadaka early problems ultimately became the challenger’s downfall.

When Masdor attempted to spin again in the second frame, the hometown favorite was patiently waiting — expertly evading the strike before wrapping a paralyzing left head kick directly around his opponent’s neck.

The Eiwa Sports Gym product explained:

“When he threw [the backfist] at the beginning, I saw it. It was a cautionary scene in the fight for me. But since he threw it so early, I was able to see he was going after that. That is what led to the finish. I got that read and connected it to the counter.

“I really felt my shin hit heavy on his head. I saw him drop in slow motion. I saw his eyes roll back. But when he stood up, his legs were shaky, and I was feeling pretty confident in the result at that point.”

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The breathtaking finish was arguably the finest of Nadaka’s storied career. A masterpiece of reading, patience, and violent execution, it finally ended a frustrating run of three consecutive fights going the distance.

For a man who is never truly satisfied, this performance came incredibly close.

He shared:

“We were a little bit surprised that he didn’t come out as aggressive in the beginning, and because of that, I was a little bit hesitant. And there was a dangerous scene, but I was able to get the finish, and I’m very happy about that.”

Nadaka Savors Bonus, Vows To Stay On Top

Nadaka Yoshinari’s second successful World Title defense came with a generous, well-deserved reward. The Japanese megastar walked away with a massive six-figure performance bonus for his efforts, joining ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan “The General” Haggerty — who stopped Hiroki Akimoto in the main event — after both kings delivered epic knockout title defenses.

While not typically the type to chase external validation, the extra money served as a sweet reward. His teammates, including cousin and #4-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Shimon Yoshinari, had all secured their own bonuses before him, leaving him eager to join the club.

He said:

“Everyone on my team from Eiwa Sports Gym has gotten a bonus. It was just me without the bonus, and I was really happy to get that bonus with a good victory today in front of everyone.

“I’m going to talk to everybody and maybe joke around and boast a little bit.”

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With the gold belt secured and the bonus pocketed, the 25-year-old will take a well-earned moment to enjoy the spoils with his loyal team. Yet a true World Champion’s job is never finished. Riding a staggering 43-bout winning streak, the line of hungry challengers only grows longer with every victory.

With the quiet maturity of a seasoned champion, he deeply understands that elevating the atomweight division means continuously evolving his game to stay ahead of the pack.

He concluded:

“I feel that I was able to show the fans the high level of Muay Thai and kind of introduce them to the entertaining nature of the sport. It brings the division up, the level of the division, the attention, the excitement.

“There are guys who have beaten my opponent tonight, guys that are coming up the ranks, so I really need to stay on my game in order to stay champion for a long time.”

Source: ONE Championship