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Even to this day, Yuya Wakamatsu of Japan still can’t believe he’s now the ONE flyweight MMA world champion.
'Little Piranha’ always aimed high but fell short in the past whenever he came close to a world title opportunity.
His dream finally turned to reality at ONE 172 in March, when he knocked out the division’s multi-time world champion Adriano Moraes to claim the belt.
Now, the 30-year-old prepares to defend his hard-earned title for the first time against ONE strawweight MMA world champion Joshua Pacio on Nov. 16 in the co-main event of ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri.
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Speaking ahead of this champion vs. champion battle at Ariake Arena, Wakamatsu reflected on his remarkable Cinderella story.
“Yeah, this was my first title I got and my first title is like the number one in the world in this private division. So it made me so happy and honored, proud of myself,” he told the South China Morning Post [SCMP].
The Tribe Tokyo MMA product continued:
“I did not imagine this kind of achievement when I was a child, although I always aimed for number one or wanted to be like top of something, but I always thought like maybe I can't do that. But so it happens at this point.”
Watch the full SCMP interview below:
Yuya Wakamatsu says Japanese crowd will power him to another victory
Winning the ONE flyweight MMA world title in his home country is a core memory that Yuya Wakamatsu will cherish for as long as he lives.
Now, 'Little Piranha' gets to defend that same crown on home soil, and he vows to repay the trust of his fans with another scintillating knockout finish.
"Yes, winning the title in [my] home country and also fighting in front of the Japanese fans made me really more powerful," Wakamatsu told SCMP.
"The crowd really gave me power, and also when I got the win, every loss, even like against Adriano Moraes before, all paid off, and yeah, it gave me all the positive impact."
Be part of the biggest martial arts event of 2025 by purchasing the ONE 173 PPV, here.
