​Ben “The Problem” Woolliss punches hard for a living, and off the gym floor the Englishman makes his edge felt in a different way: he dresses to impress. The 32-year-old returns to action in a bantamweight kickboxing bout against former K-1 Champion Yuki Yoza at The Inner Circle 22, held at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium. The Asia primetime event streams exclusively for members at live.onefc.com on Friday, July 17.
There’s more to the Grimsby native than what happens inside the ropes. The same fighter who pursues knockouts in ONE Championship also treats his appearance with the same seriousness as his performance. Style for Woolliss isn’t an afterthought; it’s a statement he has consistently made throughout a career that has demanded everything from him, including a well-documented struggle with Crohn’s Disease that has tested his resilience at every turn. Through it all, his standard has never dropped. He said, “Having good style or looking good is really important to me. It completes my look and personality as a fighter. It’s the same, you know, as a fighter. You train hard to put on a good show, so why not dress with style before your fight? It gives me that little bit of confidence and aura.”
Every fighter needs something outside the ring. For “The Problem,” the search led him through a few detours before landing on something surprising. Surfboards, skate ramps, and motorcycles all had their moment, but none stuck. What finally connected carried the same reward as a well-executed performance. Woolliss explained, “I don’t really have any hobbies apart from martial arts. I tried in the past—surfing, skating, biking—but I basically just love fighting. Outside of fighting, it has to be retail therapy. I love shopping, buying nice clothes and things, and looking fashionably good. I guess that’s my biggest hindrance, but it’s also a reward for my hard work.”
What ends up in the wardrobe eventually makes its way onto the world stage. The retail therapy feeds something bigger—a personal brand he has been building one fight, and one outfit, at a time. That same deliberate approach to appearance takes on new meaning in the ring. The outfits may change, but the underlying intention never does. He noted, “I’ve had a lot of cool fight shorts throughout my career. Some were rushed, but I really sit down to design them when I have the time to create something cooler. It’s a big part of me. I want people to remember me for my fights and my style. It’s also about building your brand, so I always prioritize what I wear on fight night.”