“He’s a very dangerous opponent” - Yuya Wakamatsu is taking a cautious approach to Joshua Pacio superfight at ONE 173

Newly crowned ONE flyweight MMA world champion ‘Little Piranha’ Yuya Wakamatsu of Japan admits he may need to be extra careful when he takes on Filipino MMA star ‘The Passion’ Joshua Pacio in a highly anticipated superfight next weekend.

Wakamatsu will defend the flyweight MMA gold against the current strawweight MMA titleholder at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri, which will go down live on Sunday, November 16, from the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Wakamatsu believes Pacio poses a legitimate threat in his first world title defense, and he needs to exercise extra caution when dealing with the explosive Lions Nation MMA representative.

‘Little Piranha’ told the world’s largest martial arts organization:

“He can finish with one shot. On top of that, he manages the flow of the fight extremely well. And not only that—his ground game is also very strong. Overall, he’s a very dangerous opponent.”

Needless to say, this champ vs. champ showdown is one that fans are definitely looking forward to, and it promises to be an absolute barburner for however long it lasts.

Tickets for ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri are available here. Fans in the United States and Canada can visit ONE Championship’s official website for more information on how to watch from their location.

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Yuya Wakamatsu says Joshua Pacio’s championship experience is a factor: “He has a longer career than I do”

‘Little Piranha’ Yuya Wakamatsu understands the task at hand when he faces ‘The Passion’ Joshua Pacio at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri on November 16.

He knows Pacio will be his toughest test to date, and the most experienced. He said:

“When I made my debut about six or seven years ago, Joshua Pacio was already fighting on the same card. In the main event that night, he faced Yoshitaka Naito and became the champion.”

Wakamatsu added:

“Since then, he has held the title for a long time. Of course, he’s had some losses along the way, but his accomplishments speak for themselves. Also, he has a longer career than I do, and he has defended the belt many times.”