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Yuya Wakamatsu became the new ONE flyweight MMA world champion after knocking out Brazilian star Adriano Moraes in the opening round in their battle for the vacant belt last weekend. It was a finish, he said, he had worked on and just knew he had to deliver on when the opportunity presented itself.
'Little Piranha' was one of the big winners at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang on March 23 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. He made sure he had no slip-ups in his attack, holding off the takedowns of 'Mikinho' and swamped Moraes with his ferocious striking when the chance to do so opened up, culminating in a crushing ground-and-pound finish late in the first round.
In an interview with My Navi News following his victory, Yuya Wakamatsu broke down his winning moment at ONE 172, sharing:
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"My finishing combination, of course, was a move I practiced. I practiced everything. But at that time, I didn’t even think about it. I just saw the opportunity, what I could see with my eyes, and in that moment, I knew I had to throw that."
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Watch the interview below:
The win at ONE 172 also saw Yuya Wakamatsu exact payback on Moraes, who defeated him in March 2022 by submission to stay the flyweight king at that time.
It also earned the Tribe Tokyo MMA standout a $50,000 performance bonus from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
The replay of ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang is available at watch.onefc.com.
Yuya Wakamatsu says he is ready to live up to being a world champion
Now that he is a world champion, Yuya Wakamatsu said a lot is going to be expected from him. He, however, believes he is ready to live up to it and be the best champion that he can be.
He made this known in an Instagram post, sharing that he is not taking being a titleholder lightly.
Part of Wakamatsu's post read:
"From now on, as a champion, I will be even stricter on myself than before, and I will do my best to defend the throne while having fun. Thank you so much to everyone for your support!"
The win at ONE 172 was the fourth straight for Wakamatsu, extending his spirited turnaround after losing back-to-back matches previously. He now has an improved record of 9-4 in ONE Championship.
