On February 9 (Sunday) at K-1 WORLD MAX 2025, Hayato Suzuki (Japan/K-1 Gym Gotanda Team Kings) will challenge Yodkhunpon Weerasakreck (Thailand/Weerasakreck Fairtex Gym) for the K-1 WORLD GP Super Lightweight Championship at Yoyogi National Gymnasium Second Stadium. Suzuki shared his thoughts ahead of this major title opportunity.

Suzuki competed for the Krush Super Lightweight Championship against Daiki Matsushita in January 2019, winning by KO. In February 2020, he lost his title defense against Daizo Sasaki, relinquishing the belt. He continued to engage in fierce battles and, in March 2024, served as the opponent for Koya Urabe’s retirement match, securing a decision victory. In the first round of the 7th K-1 WORLD GP Super Lightweight Championship Tournament in September 2024, he faced Ionuț Popa but lost by TKO due to a cut.

Yodkhunpon competed in Lumpinee and Rajadamnern, the two major Muay Thai stadiums, before winning the -70kg world tournament in GLORY. In 2023, he participated in an eight-man welterweight championship league at RWS in Thailand, advancing to the final. In the 7th K-1 WORLD GP Super Lightweight Championship Tournament in September 2024, he knocked out Kan Pinar and Ionuț Popa in succession before defeating Shu Inagaki in the final to become the new champion.

Fights are won and lost in these tiny moments, and in that one moment, I hesitated. If I think about it, I lost the fight in my head before I lost it in the ring.

-What was your reaction when you received the offer to fight Yodkhunpon?
I thought, “Finally!”

-So you never questioned why you were chosen?
I was hoping for it. Even though I lost in the first round of the tournament, it was a bloodbath and ended in a strange way. Right after the fight, I spoke with Producer Miyata, and he told me, “You fought well.” I kept waiting for my next opportunity, and then I was given the best possible one.

-Your fight with Ionuț Popa ended due to a cut, and many people wanted to see more. Was getting a title match unexpected?
For me, it’s more than I could have asked for. Honestly, I just feel lucky.

-Yodkhunpon won two straight KOs in the tournament and finished Inagaki in the final. He seems like a fighter with no obvious weaknesses.
If I try to play it safe, I won’t win.

-So it’s going to be a war?
There’s no other way! Yodkhunpon also knows how to fight smart and avoid danger, which makes things tricky. When I fought Pakorn, he controlled the pace for the first two rounds, and I couldn’t fight the way I wanted. If that happens again, the fight will go Yodkhunpon’s way. I’m going to have to impose my own rhythm on him. I can already see how I’m going to take him down.

-If you can get him emotional, you might be able to force him into a brawl.
He certainly has a fighter’s mentality. I think the fight will naturally become a war. When that happens, I’ll find my opening and land my shot.

-It sounds like you can already see how this fight plays out.
I can. But I can also see the ways I might lose—like if he controls the distance and picks his shots. That’s something I have to account for. But if I keep my pressure high and make sure my punches land, I can take anyone down.

-What does this fight mean to you?
Everything. I’m turning 35, and while I don’t fixate on my age, I also don’t want to just keep going without a goal. If I’m going to do this, I want to be number one. I don’t want to be someone who was “always close but never quite there.” I want to win, become champion, and then think about what comes next. If I don’t become number one, I’ll just keep repeating the same cycle.

-How do you define an elite fighter?
It’s not about holding a belt. It’s about winning no matter what. Even when everything is stacked against you, you still find a way. If you’re stuck going back and forth between wins and losses, you can’t break through to the next level.

-Some fighters avoid losing, others go for the finish—which do you aim to be?
I think the strongest fighters are the ones where no one can even picture them losing. That presence is what really matters.

-Where do you think you stand right now?
Everything begins after I beat Yodkhunpon. That’s my real starting point. As much as I say that rankings don’t matter, the reality is that whether or not you’re a champion changes everything. This title fight will be an all-out battle, and I need to prove that I can be the guy who wins those kinds of fights. I have to take the belt before I can even think about anything else.

-Your last fight ended in a TKO loss due to a cut. That must have been frustrating.
I didn’t expect that at all. I played out a bunch of different scenarios in my head before the fight, but not that one. When the ref stopped it, I was panicking, thinking, “No, don’t stop it!” But later, when I rewatched it, I understood why they made that call.

-It felt like an accident. Everyone wanted to see what would have happened if the fight continued.
Yeah, but honestly, I lost in every way. Even before the cut, I made mistakes. I mean, why did I get hit by that high kick? If I had avoided it, I wouldn’t have been cut.

People tell me, “That was just bad luck,” but when I really think about it, I know—I lost mentally first.*

-So you’ve completely accepted the loss?
It was a total loss. Right after the fight, I talked with my trainer. Since it was my first tournament, I didn’t know much about my opponent, and I went in unprepared. That included my mental state. When I look back, that loss was bound to happen.

-You’ve taken the lessons from that fight into your preparation for Yodkhunpon.
Exactly. This time, I’ve considered every possible scenario. I want to show up and make people say, “Wow, that was something else.”

-So you don’t see Yodkhunpon as an unbeatable monster?
No way. He’s strong, but he’s not invincible. People keep saying, “He’s a beast, you can’t win,” but if I fight at my best, I can beat him. I already see the ways I can break him down.

-You once talked about retiring, but now you seem fully committed.
After the tournament, I really thought about retiring. But the way that fight ended—it left me feeling unsettled. I felt like I hadn’t really given everything. That’s why I accepted this fight. I know I haven’t done enough yet.

-What’s been your main focus in training?
Expanding my arsenal and refining my strengths. I don’t feel like I’m lacking in technique. The real key is making sure I control the fight. As long as I do that, everything else will come naturally.

-You sound completely certain of your victory.
I truly believe I can win. If I don’t, then maybe that’s just how it was meant to be.

-By fighting at the top of K-1, you’ve already proven you’re an elite fighter.
Maybe. But I want more. I want to be Elite! I’ve spent the past ten years working toward this, and now it’s time to take the next step.