“Key to beating him again” - Adriano Moraes warns Yuya Wakamatsu not to underestimate his improved striking

Former longtime ONE flyweight MMA world champion and current first-ranked divisional contender Adriano Moraes knows he has what it takes to defeat upcoming opponent Yuya Wakamatsu. According to the 36-year-old American Top Team veteran, he's done it before. So he can do it again.

Moraes handed Wakamatsu a first-round submission loss at the historic ONE X in Singapore in 2022, and now the Brazilian icon is looking for a repeat performance when the two meet back in the Circle next weekend for the gold.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Moraes talked about his training and why he believes his grappling will carry him to victory again over Wakamatsu.

'Mikinho' told the world's largest martial arts organization:

"I've been training a lot. I believe that my Muay Thai is better than his, and I was able to show that a little in our first fight. And I've been improving my striking a lot. And of course my Jiu-Jitsu. My Jiu-Jitsu is much better than his, and I believe that will be the key to beating him again."

Fans won't have to wait long to see Adriano Moraes back in action inside the Circle.

Adriano Moraes competes for vacant flyweight MMA gold against Yuya Wakamatsu at ONE 172

Adriano Moraes is set to face Yuya Wakamatsu for the vacant flyweight MMA world title at ONE 172 in Saitama, Japan on Sunday, March 23.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live on global pay-per-view via watch.onefc.com.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event as it happens.