Japanese Shoot Boxing champion Yuki Kasahara delivered a memorable performance at GOAT Kickboxing Festival 3 on October 25, 2026, defeating France’s Soheil Dridi by unanimous decision to capture the vacant ISKA World Super-lightweight K-1 Championship at 63.5kg. The championship encounter took place at TV Tokyo Tennozu Studios in Tokyo, Japan, as part of an international kickboxing event presented by Martial Arts Technologies and broadcast live nationwide on Japanese terrestrial television.
The highly competitive matchup brought together two accomplished fighters from different kickboxing backgrounds, with Kasahara representing Japan and Dridi entering the contest as an ISKA World Kickboxing Champion from France. Their meeting formed part of a championship program featuring three ISKA World title fights, placing the vacant Super-lightweight crown among the event’s major attractions.
In a contest distinguished by speed, technical skill and a dramatic knockdown, Kasahara established an advantage through the opening two rounds before producing a spectacular head kick that sent Dridi to the canvas. Despite the knockdown, the French fighter recovered, beat the referee’s count and continued fighting until the final bell.
Kasahara ultimately secured the championship by unanimous decision, with the judges awarding him scores of 29-27, 29-27 and 30-26.
Kasahara and Dridi deliver a standout ISKA World Championship battle
The vacant ISKA World Super-lightweight K-1 title was at stake when Yuki Kasahara and Soheil Dridi entered the ring at GOAT Kickboxing Festival 3.
Kasahara, an established Shoot Boxing champion in Japan, faced an international opponent with ISKA World Kickboxing championship credentials.
The matchup offered both athletes an opportunity to compete for the vacant ISKA World Super-lightweight Championship under K-1 rules at 63.5kg.
From the opening exchanges, the contest demonstrated the speed and technical abilities of both competitors.
Kasahara and Dridi engaged in a competitive battle featuring punches and kicks, with neither fighter allowing the championship encounter to become a straightforward contest.
The Japanese fighter gradually established an advantage, and after two rounds Kasahara was edging ahead on the scorecards.
However, the most dramatic moment was still to come.
A spectacular head kick changes the championship fight
The defining moment of the contest arrived when Kasahara landed a powerful head kick that knocked Dridi down.
The strike produced a dramatic reaction inside the venue as the French competitor fell to the canvas.
The knockdown appeared to place Kasahara firmly in control of the championship outcome, but Dridi demonstrated his determination by recovering and beating the referee’s count.
Rather than ending the fight, the knockdown became a pivotal moment in a contest that continued until the final bell.
Dridi’s recovery allowed the championship battle to reach its scheduled conclusion, while Kasahara maintained the advantage that would ultimately secure his victory.
The exchanges included close-range punching combinations and high kicks, with the decisive knockdown providing the contest’s most significant turning point.
The result was a championship encounter that combined technical kickboxing with a dramatic turning point, making Kasahara versus Dridi one of the standout fights of the event.
Unanimous decision confirms Kasahara as ISKA World Champion
After the final bell, the judges returned a unanimous decision in favor of Yuki Kasahara.
The official scorecards were:
Judge 1: 29-27 Kasahara
Judge 2: 29-27 Kasahara
Judge 3: 30-26 Kasahara
All three judges awarded the contest to the Japanese fighter, confirming his victory over Soheil Dridi.
The unanimous decision crowned Kasahara as the winner of the vacant ISKA World Super-lightweight K-1 Championship at 63.5kg.
The championship result represented another significant achievement for Kasahara, adding an ISKA World title to his accomplishments as a Shoot Boxing champion.
For Dridi, the contest demonstrated his ability to compete at the international championship level, including his recovery from a head-kick knockdown and his determination to continue until the final bell.
GOAT Kickboxing Festival 3 brings three ISKA World title fights to Tokyo
The championship encounter formed part of GOAT Kickboxing Festival 3, presented by Martial Arts Technologies at TV Tokyo Tennozu Studios.
The October 25 event featured three ISKA World Championship contests, bringing international title competition to the Japanese capital.
Kasahara versus Dridi was contested for the vacant ISKA World Super-lightweight title under K-1 rules, with the championship division set at 63.5kg.
The event’s live nationwide broadcast on Japanese terrestrial television provided a platform for ISKA championship kickboxing to reach viewers across Japan.
The inclusion of three ISKA World title fights also highlighted the international scope of the championship program, with athletes from different countries competing for world-level recognition.
For ISKA, the Tokyo event represented another opportunity to showcase its World Championship titles within Japan’s established kickboxing environment.
From Shoot Boxing champion to ISKA World titleholder
Kasahara entered the matchup with championship credentials from Shoot Boxing, a Japanese combat sports discipline with its own competitive traditions.
His victory over Dridi added a World Championship achievement under ISKA K-1 rules.
The result also demonstrated the competitive connection between different kickboxing formats, with a Shoot Boxing champion successfully competing for an ISKA title against an established international kickboxing champion.
By defeating Dridi, Kasahara secured the vacant 63.5kg championship and added his name to the list of ISKA World Super-lightweight title winners.
The victory was especially notable for the manner in which it unfolded, combining an early points advantage with a decisive knockdown before the judges confirmed the final result.
Official ISKA World Championship result
Event: GOAT Kickboxing Festival 3
Date: October 25, 2026
Location: TV Tokyo Tennozu Studios, Tokyo, Japan
Presented by: Martial Arts Technologies
Broadcast: Live nationwide on Japanese terrestrial television
Championship: ISKA World Super-lightweight K-1 Championship
Weight division: 63.5kg
Title status: Vacant championship
Yuki Kasahara (Japan) defeated Soheil Dridi (France) by unanimous decision.
Official scores: 29-27, 29-27, 30-26
Decisive moment: Kasahara scored a head-kick knockdown. Dridi recovered and completed the fight.
Championship outcome: Yuki Kasahara captured the vacant ISKA World Super-lightweight K-1 title.
Tokyo crowns a new ISKA World Super-lightweight champion
GOAT Kickboxing Festival 3 delivered a memorable championship result as Yuki Kasahara defeated Soheil Dridi in Tokyo to claim the vacant ISKA World Super-lightweight K-1 Championship.
The Japanese fighter’s unanimous decision victory followed a competitive contest in which both athletes displayed speed and technical ability, with Kasahara’s head-kick knockdown providing the fight’s defining moment.
Dridi’s recovery and determination to reach the final bell added to the significance of the encounter, while the judges’ unanimous verdict confirmed Kasahara as the new champion.
With three ISKA World title fights featured on the event program and live nationwide television coverage in Japan, GOAT Kickboxing Festival 3 contributed another major chapter to ISKA’s international championship calendar in 2026.
Edited and adapted by Luis Costa, News Editor, ISKA World News
