Danny Kingad says Yuya Wakamatsu can’t afford to go to the ground with Adriano Moraes: “That’s his game”

Danny Kingad thinks it would be a big mistake for Yuya Wakamatsu to try and go to the ground with Adriano Moraes.

On Sunday, March 23, ONE Championship heads to the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Japan for a jam-packed ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang card featuring five massive world title tilts—one of which will see Wakamatsu square off with Moraes for the vacant ONE flyweight MMA world championship.

Having gone toe-to-toe with Moraes and Wakamatsu, Kingad believes it would be in Wakamatsu's best interest to keep the fight standing and avoid Moares' dangerous grappling game. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Kingad said:

"Yeah, when this fight goes to the ground it’ll be in Adriano’s wheelhouse. If Adriano keeps this fight on the ground, I think Yuya still has a chance with his ground and pound. But Adriano’s really good at the ground and he’ll actively hunt for that submission because that’s his game."

Moraes and Wakamatsu previously met at the promotion's 10th-anniversary showcase ONE X in 2022. On that night, Moraes came out on top, earning a third-round submission victory over the Japanese veteran.

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Yuya Wakamatsu is ready to give it his all in rematch with Adriano Moraes at ONE 172

In the time since his loss to Moraes, Yuya Wakamatsu has strung together three straight wins, including an opening-round KO of Xie Wei and a pair of unanimous decision victories over Danny Kingad and Gilbert Nakatani.

Determined to even the series against Moraes, Wakamatsu set the stage for the type of performance he intends to deliver in The Land of the Rising Sun. Speaking at the ONE 172 press conference, Wakamatsu said:

"I will be performing in front of the other athletes in the co-main event, and it is truly an honor. I have put my whole life into martial arts, so much so that I am willing to give it my all. So yes, I want to make this the best match ever, please look forward to it."

Will Wakamatsu finally break through and claim his first 26 pounds of ONE Championship gold, or will Moraes pick up right where he left off and kickstart his fourth reign as the ONE flyweight MMA world champion?

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.