“Get on top, land some strikes” - Yuya Wakamatsu insists he would still have beaten Adriano Moraes if the fight went to the ground

Yuya Wakamatsu believes he would have created similar success against Adriano Moraes if the fight had gone to the ground.

Earlier this month, Wakamatsu fought at ONE 172 in his home country of Japan. 'Little Piranha' was tasked with fighting Moraes in a rematch for the vacant flyweight MMA world title.

Moraes, a submission specialist, didn't have an opportunity to execute his ground game. Instead, Wakamatsu utilized his striking to secure a first-round TKO.

During an interview with My Navi News, Wakamatsu had this to say about what would have happened if he had been taken down:

"If he managed to break through that [get a takedown against me], I would, of course, use my ground strikes, get on top, land some strikes, do ground and pound. Or, If I were knocked down, I would have done something like that, too."

Adriano Moraes and Yuya Wakamatsu first fought in March 2022 at ONE X. The result was much different than the rematch, with Moraes winning by third-round submission (guillotine).

Wakamatsu's performance at ONE 172 earned him a $50,000 performance bonus. Three other fighters earned the honor: Adrian Lee, ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world champion Masaaki Noiri, and Rodtang.

Watch Wakamatsu's entire interview with My Navi News below:

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Potential options for Yuya Wakamatsu's first flyweight MMA title defense

Yuya Wakamatsu and Adriano Moraes will inevitably fight for a third time to settle their even score in flyweight MMA title fights.

With that said, ONE Championship might be interested in booking Wakamatsu's first title defense against a different contender while Moraes bounces back.

The most likely contender for Wakamatsu, assuming Moraes doesn't receive an immediate rematch, is number four-ranked Reece McLaren.

The entertaining Aussie is coming off consecutive split decision wins against Hu Yong and former strawweight champion Jarred Brooks.

McLaren also has a history with Wakamatsu due to the latter winning their first meeting by unanimous decision in April 2021.

Another opponent would be former champion Kairat Akhmetov. The 37-year-old is riding a six-fight winning streak, including two wins against McLaren.

The major difference between McLaren and Akhmetov is that the latter hasn't fought since they clashed in May 2023. McLaren has won twice in that timeframe.