Eduard Folayang says Yuya Wakamatsu will be "more motivated" than Adriano Moraes to claim vacant crown at ONE 172

Eduard Folayang expects Yuya Wakamatsu to be more motivated than Adriano Moraes when the two flyweight stars square off for the division's top prize in Japan.

Emanating from the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Japan, ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang features a thrilling matchup between Wakamatsu and Moraes to determine the new ONE flyweight MMA world champion.

It will be the second meeting between the two under the ONE Championship banner, the first coming at the promotion's 10th-anniversary showcase ONE X in March 2022. On that night, Adriano Moraes bested Wakamatsu via submission in the third.

But despite how things played out in the past, Folayang thinks things will be different this time around.

"In terms of Adriano’s match with Yuya, they have fought each other before and Adriano won that. Of course, Yuya will only be more motivated because the event is happening in Japan."

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Yuya Wakamatsu looks to cement his legacy against Adriano Moraes at ONE 172

Before besting Yuya Wakamatsu at ONE X, Moraes etched his name in the MMA history books by becoming the first and only fighter to knockout P4P legend Demetrious Johnson.

Wakamatsu believes that if he gets a big win over 'Mikinho' in Japan, it will go a long way towards cementing his legacy on martial arts' biggest global stage.

"Yes, Adriano Moraes is the only fighter who has ever knocked out DJ, so I want to do that on the biggest stage of all and become a champion," Wakamatsu said at the ONE 172 press conference. I think this will be a great opportunity to let the people know that the number one flyweight [in ONE] is the best in the world."

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.