Shimon Vs. Suablack Flyweight Muay Thai Bout Booked For ONE SAMURAI 3

Fresh from one of the most rewarding nights of his career, Shimon Yoshinari is already back in the hunt.

The Japanese phenom takes on Thai veteran Suablack Tor Pran49 in a flyweight Muay Thai matchup at ONE SAMURAI 3 on Saturday, September 12, from Yokohama Buntai in Yokohama, Japan.

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Shimon has been one of the most impressive performers in ONE Championship since making his promotional debut in December 2024. 

The 21-year-old EIWA Sports Gym product and WBC Muay Thai World Champion carries a 26-1 career striking record and a perfect 5-0 promotional slate into this contest, having won every ONE appearance with the kind of technical precision and high fight IQ that has made him one of the division’s most exciting young talents. 

His most recent outing at the inaugural ONE SAMURAI 1 in April produced the defining moment of his promotional career to date, as he defeated teenage sensation Johan “Jojo” Ghazali after three fiercely competitive rounds via unanimous decision, a result that earned him the coveted US$100,000 global roster contract and announced him to a worldwide audience as a genuine flyweight Muay Thai contender. 

Adding another layer of significance to ONE SAMURAI 3 is the fact that Shimon’s elder cousin, reigning ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka, will headline the event in his highly anticipated kickboxing debut, making it a landmark night for their family and for Japanese martial arts.

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Suablack, however, has no intention of letting the night belong to the Japanese contingent. The 30-year-old NP Suablack product is one of the most resilient and fan-friendly fighters in the promotion, having built a 63-23 career record across both kickboxing and Muay Thai competition since entering the ONE Friday Fights circuit in June 2023. 

He cut his teeth at bantamweight, winning four fights to earn his own US$100,000 contract and global roster spot in December 2023, before experiencing a difficult stretch that tested his resolve and forced him to reassess. 

The reinvention came in July at ONE Fight Night 45 in the most dramatic fashion possible, when he came off the canvas to deliver a stunning elbow knockout of Stephen Irvine in his flyweight Muay Thai debut, collecting a US$50,000 performance bonus and reigniting his momentum at a new weight class. 

The Thai veteran now arrives at ONE SAMURAI 3 with a clear mission: hand the Japanese phenom his first ONE Championship loss and take a major step toward the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title in the process.

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The stakes on both sides of this matchup make it one of the most compelling contests on the ONE SAMURAI 3 card. For Shimon, a victory would extend his winning streak to 14, move his career record to 27-1, and push him firmly into the upper echelons of the flyweight Muay Thai division where the title conversation begins. 

For Suablack, a second consecutive flyweight win against an opponent of Shimon’s caliber would deliver a 64th career victory, prove his new weight class is where his best fighting resides, and put his name in lights as the man who ended one of ONE Championship’s most promising runs.

Source: ONE Championship