Adriano Moraes fired up to ‘destroy’ Yuya Wakamatsu’s title bid in his own backyard: “This kind of emotion gives me more pleasure”

Adriano Moraes can't wait to destroy Yuya Yakamatsu's dreams in his backyard.

Emanating from the legendary Saitama Super Arena in Japan, ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang will see five massive world title bouts, including a highly anticipated clash between Moraes and Wakamatsu to crown a new ONE flyweight MMA world champion.

Moraes has already had three separate reigns as the ONE flyweight MMA world titleholder and if all goes according to plan, he'll kickstart his fourth run as the division's top dog when ONE Championship descends upon The Land of the Rising Sun on Sunday, March 23.

But leaving with 26 pounds of gold isn't Moraes' only goal. Speaking with the promotion, 'Mikinho' made it clear that his real mission is to kill Wakamatsu's title aspirations in front of his fans, friends, and family:

“I love to go to my opponent’s home and destroy their dreams. I don’t know why, but I feel like this kind of emotion gives me more pleasure.”

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Yuya Wakamatsu goes into his rematch against Adriano Moraes with a heap of momentum

ONE 172 won't be the first time Adriano Moraes and Yuya Wakamatsu have stepped inside the Circle.

The pair previously met at the promotion's 10th-anniversary showcase ONE X in March 2022.

On that night, Adriano Moraes scored a third-round submission victory to extend his unbeaten streak and retain the ONE flyweight MMA world title he held at the time.

Since then, Moraes has lost two of his last three while Wakamatsu has won three in a row, including an opening-round knockout over Xie Wei and a pair of unanimous decisions against Danny Kingad and Gilbert Nakatani.

Will Wakamatsu even the series and become a ONE world champion for the first time in his MMA career, or will Moraes retake the flyweight throne in enemy territory?

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.