October 27, 2025

Leona Pettas, who will face Tomoya Yokoyama in a K-1 Super Featherweight bout at K-1 WORLD MAX 2025 -70kg World’s Strongest Tournament Final Round, held on November 15 in Tokyo, gave an interview ahead of the fight.

—This long-awaited all-Japanese matchup is finally happening. What’s your impression of Yokoyama?
“I’d say he’s a pretty skilled fighter — his style, the way he carries himself, all of it are pretty polished. that’s the impression I get.”

—You said ‘the way he carries himself’?
“Yeah. He’s out there declaring himself the next K-1 ace or hero, right? That’s fine—it’s his personal freedom—but if he’s going to say that, he should be backing it up with better fights. That’s why he has so few followers on social media and barely any name recognition. He got folded by Remi Parra with a body shot. To me, it just shows he doesn’t have the grit.”

—He was KOed by Remi Parra in the final of the Super Featherweight Title Tournament. Some said prior injuries might have affected him.
“I only watched the highlight reel of that fight, to be honest (laughs). But if he’s going to say he lost because of injuries—well, when I won the K-1 title, I injured my hand in the first fight and still won the whole thing. That’s where the difference in resolve shows. That’s why Asahisa (Hirotaka) calls him ‘the weakest.’”

—Asahisa was pretty harsh in his criticism of Yokoyama.
“Well, it’s because he’s just weak, plain and simple. I stay in touch with Asahisa sometimes, and he’s told me, ‘You’re the only one I’ve never beaten.’ So really, this is just the strongest guy fighting the weakest guy. That’s all it is (laughs).”

—Did you watch Yokoyama’s first-round tournament fight against Egor Bikrev? He’s a very tough opponent.
“Yeah, I saw that one—since I was the reserve fighter. When Yokoyama’s opponent withdrew from the semis, I actually thought, ‘Maybe I’ll just jump in and beat him up myself.’ But I wasn’t in shape for two fights, and I figured I could beat him anytime anyway, so I declined.”

—So you really think you could beat him anytime. But earlier, you did call him ‘skilled’.
“You asked what kind of fighter he is, so I said ‘skilled,’ not ‘strong.’ If we’re talking about pure technique, I can fight with technique too—but does that satisfy the fans? I don’t think so.
Takeru didn’t become a star because he was ‘skilled.’ He became the face of K-1 because he was strong, exciting, and drew fans in. If you want to show off skill and technique, go fight amateur. In the pros, you have to show strength—that’s what I believe.”

—But isn’t showing technique also part of being a professional?
“Sure, technique matters. But Yokoyama’s biggest problem is his lack of heart. Getting dropped by a body shot tells you all you need to know. He’s skilled, but he just runs away in there. He flinches when hit. He’s mentally weak. And for someone like that to call himself an ace or hero? That’s just lame.”

—So how did you feel when you got the offer to fight him?
“I was like, ‘Wait, Yokoyama?’ (laughs). I really didn’t think it was worth doing. Think about it—he’s below me in skill, below me in name value. What do I even gain from this? Just the fight money. That’s it.
The only thing I care about is taking out Remi Parra. I don’t care about the belt. But he has to go.”

—Remi Parra is the current K-1 champion and arguably the strongest in the division. You’re confident you can beat him in a rematch?
“I know it sounds lame to say this after losing, but I wasn’t 100% in that fight. I had hand surgery and took the fight just eight months later. I rushed into it. I had this fear that if I didn’t fight soon, I’d be forgotten.
But I couldn’t even throw my right hand—it hurt too much. I couldn’t even hit mitts properly. So honestly, I wasn’t fighting Remi Parra that night—I was fighting my own fear of being forgotten and my fear of throwing punches.”

—How’s your hand now?
“It’s totally fine now—no issues at all. After I beat Yokoyama, I’ll call for the rematch with Remi Parra in February. No other Japanese fighter can beat him but me.”

—Have you thought about moving up in weight?
“Not at the moment. I could if I wanted to.
Honestly, I really wanted to fight Yoza (Yuki). Everyone keeps saying he’s super strong—like pound-for-pound level. But to me, I just thought, ‘That’s easy work.’ I truly believe I’d beat him.”