“He has evolved a lot” - Adriano Moraes expecting a tougher test against Yuya Wakamatsu in world title redo at ONE 172

Former ONE flyweight MMA world champion Adriano Moraes thinks he'd be up against a different Yuya Wakamatsu when they run it back with 26 pounds of gold on the line at ONE 172.

'Mikinho' squares off against the second-ranked contender as part of the promotion's stacked return to Japan inside the Saitama Super Arena this Sunday, March 23.

In their first encounter at ONE X, the organization's 10-year anniversary spectacle in March 2022, Moraes claimed a third-round submission win over 'Little Piranha' inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium, finishing him via a guillotine choke with slightly over a minute of the contest remaining.

Despite having a blueprint to beat the Tribe Tokyo MMA athlete, Adriano Moraes isn't going to rest on his laurels, with Wakamatsu showing tons of upgrades to his game heading into ONE 172.

"We fought in 2022, I was defending my title right after successfully defending it against DJ [Demetrious Johnson]. I managed to finish him with a guillotine. It was a great night for me. But I believe he has evolved a lot and that he will come well-prepared for this fight," he told ONE Championship.

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Adriano Moraes lists Yuya Wakamatsu's main asset ahead of ONE 172 redo

Adriano Moraes isn't playing a game of guesses as he looks to reclaim the vacant ONE flyweight MMA world title in Saitama, Japan, this weekend.

The American Top Team and Constrictor Team superstar knows just what his foe brings to the table. He sees the Japanese fighter's hands as his greatest asset, one that has the power to possibly knock him out.

"Wakamatsu's strong point is his heavy hands. He has a very unique boxing style. He plays to knock out. He hunts his opponent and seeks for the knockout all the time," Moraes continued in the same interview with the promotion.

ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang will be available live via pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.