Yuya Wakamatsu had ground game ready for Adriano Moraes in historic upset at ONE 172: "Get on top, land some strikes"

When Yuya Wakamatsu stepped into the Saitama Super Arena on March 23, 'Little Piranha' carried more than just the hopes of his home country – he brought a meticulously crafted game plan designed for every scenario against Adriano Moraes.

The tactic paid off brilliantly for the Tribe Tokyo MMA martial artist, who avenged his defeat to the Brazilian veteran and former divisional kingpin in one of four world title battles that went down at ONE 172.

Wakamatsu stunned 'Mikinho' at 3:39 of the very first round and walked away as the ONE flyweight MMA world champion, his fourth straight win, and a US$50,000 performance bonus.

If things didn't turn out that way, though, the Japanese talent revealed that he was more than prepared to tackle Moraes' bread and butter on the canvas.

"If he managed to break through that [get a takedown against me], I would, of course, use my ground strikes, get on top, land some strikes, do ground and pound. Or, if I were knocked down, I would have done something like that, too," Yuya Wakamatsu told My Navi News following his career-defining win.

Watch his full interview here:

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Yuya Wakamatsu not thinking about first world title defense just yet

Yuya Wakamatsu wants to take time off before he makes the long walk to the Circle with gold wrapped around his waist for the first time.

Having pushed himself to the limit to guarantee victory over the American Top Team and Constrictor Team affiliate, the Tribe Tokyo MMA athlete had this to say in the same interview:

"For now, I'm happy with the win and the title I got over Adriano Moraes. I haven't thought about anything yet in the future, but I'm thankful for all my teammates and everyone who helped me get here."

Fight fans can rewatch the entire ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang card for free at watch.onefc.com.