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Former multiple-time ONE flyweight MMA world champion and current first-ranked contender 'Mikinho' Adriano Moraes of Brazil is heading into hostile enemy territory later this month when he takes on Japanese bet 'Little Piranha' Yuya Wakamatsu in the latter's home country.
Still, Moraes remains unfazed as he tackles this latest challenge in his career. In fact, the Brazilian veteran believes he has everything under control and simply can't wait to step inside the Circle to compete for the gold.
Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Moraes says he doesn't stress about fighting Wakamatsu in front of his hometown crowd in Saitama.
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The former flyweight MMA king said:
"I have been doing it my whole career. I know what I have to do, and I’m going to do it."
Moraes is the longest-reigning flyweight MMA world champion in the promotion's history, and is a veteran in the world's largest martial arts organization.
The 36-year-old American Top Team representative has been a fixture in the biggest fights in ONE Championship since making his promotional debut in 2013, and now he gets the chance to reclaim his lost gold after American legend Demetrious Johnson's retirement last year.
Adriano Moraes and Yuya Wakamatsu throw down at ONE 172 in Japan for vacant flyweight belt
No.1-ranked ONE Championship flyweight MMA contender 'Mikinho' Adriano Moraes of Brazil is set to take on No.2-ranked 'Little Piranha' Yuya Wakamatsu of Japan for the vacant ONE flyweight MMA world championship.
The two compete at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang, which will broadcast live from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on Sunday, March 23.
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live via global pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com, or visit ONE Championship's official website for more information on how to watch.
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event as it happens.
