ONE flyweight MMA mainstay Yuya Wakamatsu is pining to fight again for the currently vacant 135-pound MMA world championship, which he believes will come his way if he leaves ONE Fight Night 26 on Friday, Dec. 6 with a victory.
Speaking with the world's largest martial arts promotion, 'Little Piranha' called for his shot to fight for the gold:
"I definitely want the ONE Championship belt. I don't care who the opponent is — I just want a title fight and to wear that belt. If I win this fight, I'll ask for a title shot. Whether it's a rematch with [Adriano] Moraes or someone else, I'll take on whoever ONE puts in front of me."
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The second-ranked ONE flyweight MMA competitor had previously fought for the division's top prize when he challenged then-reigning king Adriano Moraes at ONE X in March 2022.
However, Wakamatsu's dreams of becoming a ONE world champion ended in disaster midway through the third round courtesy of a guillotine choke from 'Mikinho'.
He will look to claim another opportunity at the ONE flyweight MMA world championship with a dominant showing over promotional debutant Gilbert Nakatani inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Yuya Wakamatsu gunning to finish Gilbert Nakatani
Yuya Wakamatsu is always looking for a way to finish his opponents, and that objective has stayed the same entering his flyweight MMA bout with Gilbert Nakatani.
In an interview with ONE, the Tribe Tokyo MMA athlete said:
"Winning an uninteresting decision doesn't mean much to me. From the first second to the last, I'll be looking for a finish, as always. I also want to show how much I've evolved, especially over my last two fights."
ONE Fight Night 26 will air live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.