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Yuya Wakamatu plans to lean on his newly developed Muay Thai skills when he meets Adriano Moraes for a long-awaited rematch at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang.
After coming up short against Moraes at the promotion's 10th-anniversary showcase ONE X, Wakamatsu will have the chance to both even the series and capture his first 26 pounds of gold when the two run it back on Sunday, March 23 inside the legendary Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
The winner will emerge as the new ONE flyweight MMA world champion.
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Speaking with ONE, 'Little Piranha' suggested that his second scrap with 'Mikinho' will be a clash of styles, pitting Moraes' unique striking and wrestling skills against Wakamatsu's BJJ and evolving Muay Thai.
"It will definitely be a duel of styles," Wakamatsu said. "He has a base of Karate mixed with boxing and uses wrestling well. I will go with my jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai. I have been sharpening my Muay Thai a lot and I believe that in this fight I will make him suffer a little."
Yuya Wakamatsu seeks redemption at ONE 172
In their first meeting, Yuya Wakamatsu suffered a submission loss in the third round.
Despite being three years removed from the loss, 'Little Piranha' admits that it still stings.
"Yes, it was such a huge event then, so I felt pressured more than usual, and I brought that mindset to the fight. This is what I can say now, looking back at that time. The reason for my loss was really that I was unable to overcome myself, that’s all. That was the reason."
Since then, Wakamatsu has built a three-fight win streak, including victories over Xie Wei, Danny Kingad, and Gilbert Nakatani.
Will Wakamatsu earn himself a bit of redemption and his first ONE world title in 'The Land of the Rising Sun,' or will Moraes once again have the Japanese star's number on martial arts' biggest global stage?
ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang will emanate from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Sunday, March 23. Head over to watch.onefc.com to learn more about how you can watch the event live.
