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Former longtime undisputed ONE flyweight MMA world champion and now current first-ranked contender 'Mikinho' Adriano Moraes of Brazil is stepping inside the Circle with a familiar foe in his next fight.
The veteran fighter is set to lock horns with No.2-ranked ONE Championship flyweight MMA contender 'Little Piranha' Yuya Wakamatsu of Japan, and 'Mikinho' knows exactly what he's up against.
After all, Moraes did meet Wakamatsu once in 2022, where he delivered a sublime submission victory over 'Little Piranha' at the historic ONE X.
Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Moraes had nothing but praise for his esteemed Japanese foe.
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The American Top Team standout said:
"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 the knockout all the time."
Adriano Moraes and Yuya Wakamatsu are set to do battle at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang, which is set to broadcast live from the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on Sunday, March 23rd.
The fight will be for the vacant ONE flyweight MMA world title.
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live via global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.
Adriano Moraes said he 'humbled' Yuya Wakamatsu in their first fight: "He talked a lot"
'Mikinho' Adriano Moraes has always preferred to do his talking in the cage.
And when upcoming opponent 'Little Piranha' Yuya Wakamatsu tried to talk some trash before their 2022 clash at ONE X, Moraes used his fists to silence the Japanese star.
Now they go head-to-head at ONE 172 next weekend in a highly anticipated rematch.
Moraes told ONE Championship:
"He always says he's going to knock me out. In our first fight, he talked a lot, but I ended up beating him. After that, he kept to himself. But I think he learned that lesson the hard way."
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the Adriano Moraes and Yuya Wakamatsu showdown.
