Yoshitaka Naito plans to pull off winning encore in Bangkok

The 33-year-old Japanese phenomenon silenced the 12,000 Thais in attendance at the Impact Arena in May 2016 when he defeated hometown hero Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke to capture the ONE Strawweight World Championship.

Naito entered the arena to an overwhelming atmosphere in Bangkok as the crowd was in total support of Amnuaysirichoke. Their support was deafening as they cheered him at every opportunity encouraging on and willing with everything they had for him to win.

However, Naito flipped the script as he relied heavily on his grappling prowess, utilizing it to wear down Amnuaysirichoke and eventually pulling off the upset victory via rear-naked choke in the fourth round to capture the gold-plated strap.

Naito will be setting foot on Bangkok soil once again as he is set to defend his world title against Brazilian submission wizard Alex “Little Rock” Silva in the main event of ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD on Saturday, 9 December.

Going back to the venue where he won the ONE Strawweight World Championship belt, Naito feels elated to strut his wares in Bangkok once again.

“I love fighting in Bangkok. The venue is so awesome. It’s truly world-class. The energy is palpable. I can’t wait to be back,” he said.

Naito had a flawless 2016 as he claimed the ONE Strawweight World Championship in his promotional debut and closed out the year with his first successful world title defense.

The Japanese grappler may have been relatively quiet in the current calendar year, but now he is looking to make up for lost time and take his game to the next level.

“The ONE Strawweight World Championship belt is the symbol of being the strongest, the best in the world,” he proudly stated. “Martial arts taught me plenty of things and has made my life shine. On December 9, I will fully solidify my hold as the best in this division.”

Naito is fully aware of the challenger’s martial arts pedigree as Silva is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion who trains out of Evolve MMA in Singapore and has tapped out his last five opponents with five different techniques.

“Alex Silva’s grappling is extremely good. Silva’s strength is of course his ground techniques, but his striking is probably not a big threat. Silva has never gone five rounds, so if it goes the distance, it will be my time,” he assessed.

Naito believes the challenge that Silva presents will benefit him both emotionally and from a skills standpoint.

“I have respect toward Jiu-Jitsu, so If I win, my confidence will expand and will take me to the next level,” he declared.