“Go back to the drawing board” - Danny Kingad admits loss to Yuya Wakamatsu was a real eye-opener

Danny Kingad
Danny Kingad (left) knew he needed to improve after second loss against Yuya Wakamatsu (right)

Danny Kingad claimed he returned to "the drawing board" following his latest fight.

On Jan. 28, Kingad was matched up for a rematch against Yuya Wakamatsu at ONE 165. The flyweight MMA contenders battled for three rounds, with Wakamatsu emerging victorious by unanimous decision for his second consecutive win.

Kingad and Wakamatsu first fought in September 2018, with the former securing a unanimous decision win. Since then, both fighters have evolved tremendously to solidify themselves as threats to the flyweight title.

Kingad remained in the flyweight top-five at number three after his promotional record dropped to 11-4. The 29-year-old plans to bounce back at Friday's ONE 169 against former world champion Adriano Moraes, potentially proving he deserves a title shot in 2025.

Kingad and Moraes fought in November 2017, with the latter securing a first-round submission win.

Kingad appeared in an interview with ONE where he reflected on his loss against Wakamatsu. 'The King' had this to say about his takeaways from the defeat:

"All I can do is to ask my coaches, go back to the drawing board, and continue to learn.”

Wakamatsu's win against Danny Kingad extended his promotional record to 7-4. The 29-year-old Japanese contenders will keep a close eye on Kingad's upcoming fight at ONE 169, as he could face the winner for a world title.


Danny Kingad could secure Yuya Wakamatsu trilogy with win at ONE 169

At ONE 168: Denver, MMA legend Demetrious Johnson made a special appearance to announce his retirement from the sport. Johnson vacated his flyweight world title in the process, creating a massive opportunity for top contenders like Adriano Moraes and Danny Kingad.

ONE Championship decided not to upgrade Moraes vs. Kingad to a vacant flyweight MMA world title fight. Therefore, the winner at ONE 169 could potentially receive the opportunities, with Yuya Wakamatsu as another primary candidate.

Firstly, Wakamatsu must emerge victorious in his upcoming matchup against Gilbert Nakatani, which goes down in December at ONE Fight Night 26.

It should be noted that ONE could match Wakamatsu against another top contender or choose two different flyweights. Wakamatsu remains a potential candidate as he has a history with both fighters - two wins against Kingad and a loss against Moraes.

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Edited by Jigyanshushri Mahanta
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