“I’m a finisher” - Former champ Adriano Moraes determined to chalk up another finish at ONE 172 against Yuya Wakamatsu

Adriano Moraes wants another highlight reel finish in his campaign to recapture the throne he once ruled over.

The Brazilian submission machine will face off against familiar foe Yuya Wakamatsu for the vacant ONE flyweight MMA world title at the stacked ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang card on March 23 at the historic Saitama Super Arena.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Moraes said he wants to chalk up another highlight reel finish to his collection of submission victories in the promotion.

Adriano Moraes said:

"If you see my numbers, I’m a finisher. I like to finish the fight. I have the most fights, the most finishes in the flyweight division and the most title wins."

Moraes is one of the most decorated fighters in ONE Championship history, having held the ONE flyweight MMA world title multiple times in his tenure. He has 12 victories in the promotion, including one knockout and eight submission victories.

One of Moraes' submission wins came at the expense of Wakamatsu at ONE Championship's 10th-anniversary show ONE X in March 2022 in Singapore. Moraes was the then-ONE flyweight MMA world champion when he retained the gold via third-round guillotine choke against the Japanese standout.

The multi-time world champion, however, has since relinquished the flyweight MMA throne to Demetrious Johnson who then vacated the gold due to retirement. Moraes now has a chance to reclaim the world title that has become nearly synonymous with his name in his first fight on Japanese soil.

ONE 172 is available live on pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.

---

Adriano Moraes promises to correct his mistakes from his past encounter with Yuya Wakamatsu

Adriano Moraes still vividly remembers how his first matchup against Yuya Wakamatsu played out.

The former flyweight MMA king was booked with a yellow card following a prolonged bout of inactivity during their matchup in Singapore.

Although he ultimately submitted Wakamatsu with his patented guillotine choke, Moraes wasn't all too pleased with how he claimed the victory.

In an interview with the Fight Bananas channel, Moraes said he plans to push the pace against Wakamatsu and deliver maximum excitement at ONE 172 in Japan.

"Our first match was a little bit controversial. We received a yellow card, it was my first-ever yellow card that I received in my whole career."