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Newly crowned undisputed ONE flyweight MMA world champion 'Little Piranha' Yuya Wakamatsu of Japan says his recent victory over Brazilian rival 'Mikinho' Adriano Moraes last weekend was not just him beating a former tormentor. It was him beating himself.
Wakamatsu turned in the performance of a lifetime when he stopped Moraes in the first-round via technical knockout to capture the vacant gold at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang.
Taking to Instagram to share his thoughts on the fight, Wakamatsu expressed extreme gratitude to everyone who supported him.
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'Little Piranha' said:
"Looking back, I think it was really just a fight against my weak self. I really think that I was able to get this far thanks to the wonderful people around me who supported me, my family and friends who always believed in me and supported me. So, as I said in the interview, I just want to say thank you to everyone."
With his victory, Wakamatsu now reigns over one of the most stacked divisions in the world's largest martial arts organization, opening up a plethora of interesting matchups for the Japanese star.
ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang was broadcast live from the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, last Sunday, March 23. Fans in the United States and Canada can catch a replay of all the action on-demand via watch.onefc.com.
Yuya Wakamatsu thankful for the opportunity to face Brazilian icon Adriano Moraes: "I'm really glad I was able to fight him"
'Little Piranha' Yuya Wakamatsu says he learned a lot from the pair of battles with 'Mikinho' Adriano Moraes, culminating in his victory over the Brazilian icon last weekend at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang.
He said in the same Instagram post:
"My opponent, Adriano Moraes, as the absolute champion of ONE, has been through many more hardships than I have. He has taught me many things and left me with the image of a champion. I'm really glad I was able to fight him."
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding Yuya Wakamatsu's next fight.
