“I stayed a bit cautious” - Yuya Wakamatsu admits being wary of Adriano Moraes’ deadly knees in their rematch

When you're facing a guy with highlight-reel finishes like Adriano Moraes, caution is a necessity.

Yuya Wakamatsu had been wary walking into his rematch with the former ONE flyweight MMA world champion last week. After all, Moraes made history by finishing Demetrious Johnson with a perfectly timed knee.

That moment was fresh in Wakamatsu's mind as he headed into their second meeting at ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang.

Speaking with My Navi News after the event, Wakamatsu opened up about keeping a watchful eye out for Moraes' deadly knee:

"I think, based on the fight clip, he did try it twice, but I really felt like he was just feinting. And I was sure that Adriano would have landed a knee right after the takedown attempt. So I stayed a bit cautious before I caught him."

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Yuya Wakamatsu admits he wanted to avoid ground exchange with Adriano Moraes at all costs: “I know I would get caught there”

Adriano Moraes has built his career on world-class ground skills. Yuya Wakamatsu knew it. So, heading into their rematch at ONE 172, the Japanese standout made it his mission to avoid getting taken to the ground.

"I had a lot of images playing in my head on how I’d fight with Moraes on the ground. But, yeah, my ideal plan was to not let him bring the fight to his world. If he did, I know I would get caught there, and he’d start using his jiu-jitsu."

Instead, Wakamatsu took control with relentless forward pressure. A well-timed sharp uppercut brought Moraes down, where the Japanese star unleashed a barrage of ground-and-pound strikes until the referee called it quits.

And just like that, Yuya Wakamatsu was crowned the ONE flyweight MMA world champion.

ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang is available via replay on watch.onefc.com.