Gilbert Nakatani says ONE Championship debut is “the right direction” to grow his name and career further

Gilbert Nakatani always knew his career would reach the global stage, and he believes ONE Championship will give him the perfect avenue to take his game to the next level.

The American knockout machine heads to the biggest fight of his career when he makes his promotional debut against Yuya Wakamatsu at ONE Fight Night 26 on Dec. 6, US primetime, at the historic Lumpinee Stadium.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Nakatani recalled the tough upbringing he had to go through but maintained it was this situation that made his near-indestructible attitude.

Gilbert Nakatani said:

"When you’re down, you can never give up. Stay positive and continue to believe and have faith in God and help put you in the right direction. I feel like this was the right direction for me to grow internationally and really put some emphasis on my name.”

Nakatani is 8-1 in the regional circuit, with four knockouts and two submission wins in his impressive resume. Riding a four-fight winning streak, Nakatani hopes to carry that momentum when he meets Wakamatsu in their pivotal matchup in Bangkok.

Wakamatsu, however, will be a tough debut opponent for Nakatani. The Japanese star is a former ONE flyweight MMA world title contender from when he challenged then-holder Adriano Moraes at ONE X in March 2022.

Wakamatsu is also coming off back-to-back wins against Xie Wei and Danny Kingad.

Nakatani's promotional debut and the entire ONE Fight Night 26 card are available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

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Gilbert Nakatani recalls the emotional moment he received the call from ONE Championship

It's often a common courtesy for promotions to give new signings a phone call to welcome them into the fold.

Gilbert Nakatani also got his customary call, but he didn't expect the situation he would be in when his phone rang from his pocket.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Nakatani said he was visiting his mother's grave to remember her passing when he got the news that he would be making his promotional debut:

"I had gone to the cemetery to visit her, and it was an emotional day. Then I got hit with the call, and I was like, ‘No way.’ I was just crying out of happiness."