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Adriano Moraes is one of the hardest fighters to finish, but Yuya Wakamatsu somehow made it look easy at ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang.
'Little Piranha' seized the moment in front of his hometown fans at Saitama Super Arena last week, where he finally claimed the elusive flyweight MMA world championship in devastating fashion.
The Japanese star was locked in and stalked Moraes like his prey as soon as the bell rang. After stifling 'Mikinho's' attempts to take the fight to the ground, Wakamatsu brutalized him with a series of powerful uppercuts.
Seeing the Brazilian crumble to the canvas, the 30-year-old did not let the opportunity slip away and finished him off with some merciless ground and pound.
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After collecting 26 pounds of gold and getting rewarded with a cool $50,000 performance bonus, Yuya Wakamatsu recalled his incredible finishing sequence in an interview uploaded on My Navi News' YouTube channel:
"I was able to hit him, and I think I saw his chin exposed, and I went for those uppercuts, and I saw him leaning back from the force of my strikes. So I continued landing more strikes until I managed to send him down."
Watch the full interview:
Yuya Wakamatsu pays homage to Adriano Moraes' magnificent run as champion
Yuya Wakamatsu graciously thanked Adriano Moraes for setting the standard in the 135-pound MMA ranks.
'Mikinho' ruled the division on multiple occasions and showcased the qualities of a true world champion during his time at the top.
Since he now occupies the flyweight throne, Yuya Wakamatsu hopes to have a fruitful reign similar to the Brazilian legend. 'Little Piranha' said in the same interview:
"My opponent, Adriano Moraes, as the absolute champion of ONE, has been through many more hardships than I have. He has taught me many things and left me with the image of a champion. I'm really glad I was able to fight him."
The full replay of ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang can be accessed via watch.onefc.com
