“You feel like a Super Saiyan” - Danny Kingad says hometown advantage could be a big factor for Yuya Wakamatsu at ONE 172

Danny Kingad is a big believer in fans pushing fighters beyond their limits, which Yuya Wakamatsu has going for him in his next bout. 'Little Piranha' is set to figure in a rematch with Adriano Moraes at ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang on Sunday, March 23 inside the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Their bout will be for the vacant ONE flyweight MMA world championship and will be broadcast live on pay-per-view via watch.onefc.com.

Yuya Wakamatsu, the #2-ranked fighter in the division, is currently riding a three-fight win streak and will be looking to claim 26 pounds of gold in his second attempt at the divisional crown.

However, it will come against the same man he tried to take it from at ONE X back in March 2022, Moraes. In that event, 'Mikinho' needed only three rounds to finish Wakamatsu with a guillotine.

In an interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Kingad said the story might be reversed this time around, as the rematch will take place in Japan. He said:

"It’s possible to have an effect because of the fans. It’s just like for us when we fight here in the Philippines."

'The King' speaks from personal experience. Through seven fights in the Philippines under the ONE Championship banner, the Filipino star has won six, with his only loss being his first attempt at the world title which was then held by Moraes.

He continued to share the effect of hearing the hometown chants while fighting.

"There really is an effect when they say your name, or announce your name and you hear these fans cheer for you. You feel like a Super Saiyan when that happens," he said.

Yuya Wakamatsu hyped for Adriano Moraes rematch

With just a few weeks left before the big event, Yuya Wakamatsu is excited to showcase his skills to fight fans across the globe.

The biggest rematch of his career takes place at ONE 172, where some of the best Japanese athletes will compete against top talents from all over the world. A whopping five world titles will be on the line, including the vacant ONE flyweight MMA world championship that he and Adriano Moraes are going to fight for.

On Instagram, he shared his excitement as he promised to put in the work for his showdown with Moraes. In the caption, he said:

"There are only 4 weeks left until the final battle. We will keep sharpening our skills and give it our all until the match🔥 See you at Saitama Super Arena on March 23rd!!"