Yuya Wakamatsu admits Gilbert Nakatani's relentlessness 'was a lot stronger than the average': "He had a very strong heart"

Yuya Wakamatsu concedes he may have underestimated Gilbert Nakatani by a fair mile in the aftermath of their flyweight MMA duel at ONE Fight Night 26.

The No.2-ranked Japanese martial artist welcomed the American sensation to the ONE Championship Circle this past Friday, December 6. 'Little Piranha' may have gotten his hand raised, but the Aragon Training Academy representative made him work extra hard for the win.

Nakatani wasn't afraid to throw leather at the former world title challenger. The 31-year-old even displayed a solid foundation in defense, which allowed him to depend on his explosive boxing combinations.

As furious as the action was on his end, the Tribe Tokyo MMA progressed much better. Wakamatsu's aggression and successful takedowns eventually paved the way for the win on the judges' scorecards.

Looking back on the scrap, Yuya Wakamatsu singled out praise for Nakatani's heart, telling the media at the post-fight presser:

"He has a very strong heart. I fought him, and I felt that by myself, that his resolve, what his heart has prepared for, is a lot stronger than the average."

His win over the debutant bumped his winning streak to three in succession after another pair of unanimous decisions over Xie Wei and Danny Kingad.

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Yuya Wakamatsu is thankful for the support he's received from fans after his latest win

In the same press conference, Yuya Wakamatsu took some time to send a message to his loyal fanbase for their unwavering support.

'Little Piranha' shared:

"It's because of everyone who has been cheering for me that made me who I am today. And by fighting, by doing martial arts, I got to travel around the world. All I have to say is, I appreciate it. Thank you very much."

North American fans can relive his fight and the entire ONE Fight Night 26 card via Amazon Prime video.