Tetsuya Yamato is coming to Bangkok!
YOKKAO fans will be familiar with Tetsuya Yamato from the widely talked about fight against Liam Harrison back in YOKKAO 17. After a win against the former title holder, Pakorn at Hoost Cup Kings Nagoya (Japan), Yamato was granted a shot at the YOKKAO World Title -65kg for the headlining event at YOKKAO 17. On 19th March 2016, Yamato faced Harrison in the ring at Bolton’s Macron stadium where the fight erupted into a total warzone. Harrison eventually won the fight on points in a very closely-matched fight but Yamato’s all-out performance and aggressive yet collected style won him the hearts of many new fans that night. Born in Chita, city of Aichi prefecture (Japan) in 1987, Yamato took up the name in honor of his first gym, Yamato Kickboxing Gym. He made his fight debut in 2005 at the young age of 17 and was quickly awarded the Rookie Award in 2006 by fight promotion NJFK (New Japan Kickboxing Federation(, for his impressive performance. After 3 years since his debut, Yamato was awarded the Best Fighter Award (Lightweight) in 2009.
Yamato once worked as a construction worker and painter after graduating from high school, hence his nickname the “strong-armed painter”. But it is his other more befitting nickname that is more representative of his aggressive style in the ring, the “Japanese battleship”. With 25 KOs in his career to date, Yamato is a real battleship in the ring with his dangerous elbows and explosive left hooks. After signing a sponsorship deal with YOKKAO, Yamato has been a member of the star-studded YOKKAO Fight Team since March 2016. Before YOKKAO 17, he spent the majority of his time fighting on home ground in the NJKF or K-1 promotions. During this period, Yamato won numerous titles including WMC Intercontinental Lightweight (2009), WBC Muaythai International Super Lightweight Championship (2014), and the Lion Fight Super Lightweight Championship (2015).
Perhaps his most notable performance is in the eight-man one-night K-1 World Max tournament in 2010, where he fought and defeated 3 opponents on the same night to emerge the winner. While he devotes his time to the kickboxing scene, Yamato is no stranger to Muay Thai. He has fought and won against former Lumpinee champions such as Densiam Lookprabaht and Sagetdao Petpaiyathai. Not forgetting the win against multi-time champion, Pakorn which led Yamato to make his debut in a YOKKAO promotion. And also to his credit, he has even faced Saenchai in the ring back in 2010 albeit a loss. Tetsuya Yamato will be down in Bangkok and training at YOKKAO Training Center Bangkok on 12, 13, 14 July. Yamato is looking to spar with anyone and everyone. This will be a fantastic chance to train with the Japanese champion kickboxer and get insights into his fighting style.
Stay tuned to YOKKAO social media for the latest updates on Tetsuya Yamato’s training at YOKKAO Training Center Bangkok.
