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Japanese MMA title contender Yuya Wakamatsu is an improved fighter now and is out to prove that anew in his scheduled return to action later this month.
'Little Piranha' will take on veteran Brazilian fighter Adriano Moraes at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang on March 23 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The two top contenders will battle it out for the currently vacant flyweight MMA world title.
The contest is also a rematch of their first encounter in March 2022, where 'Mikinho', then the flyweight king, defeated Wakamatsu by submission in the third round to remain as world champion.
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In an interview with ONE Championship ahead of their rematch, Yuya Wakamatsu assured that he is going to show up on fight night as the better version of himself than the one who first took on Moraes.
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The 30-year-old Kagoshima native said:
"What I thought when I tapped out was, I actually felt like I was giving up, like I was heading to lose, not to win, as if I was going to lose on my own choice then. I tapped out at that time because that was a weaker version of me."
Entering ONE 172, Yuya Wakamatsu won three straight matches to solidify his standing as among the top contenders for the world title.
Moraes, meanwhile, won in his last match back in November, defeating Filipino rival Danny Kingad by submission.
The ONE flyweight MMA belt is currently vacant after former divisional king and legend Demetrious Johnson called it a career in September.
ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang is available live on pay-per-view via watch.onefc.com.
Yuya Wakamatsu says he is ready for Adriano Moraes rematch
Yuya Wakamatsu is counting the days when he gets to run it back against Adriano Moraes at ONE 172. He said he is every bit ready to deliver on fight night.
He shared this in a carousel of video of his top performances which he posted on Instagram a week ago, captioning it with:
"23 days left until the final battle ⚔️I sharpen my sword and wait."
Moraes-Wakamatsu II is one of five world title fights on tap at ONE 172, which marks the return of ONE Championship to Japan for the second straight year.
