"I have to be especially careful" - Yuya Wakamatsu has Joshua Pacio's dangerous grappling on his radar

Yuya Wakamatsu knows exactly where the danger lies when he defends his ONE flyweight MMA world title against Joshua Pacio.

'Little Piranha' will put his 26 pounds of gold on the line against the ONE strawweight MMA world champion in an all-champion classic at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri.

The spectacle, which features multiple world title fights, takes place inside Tokyo's Ariake Arena on Sunday, Nov. 16.

Ahead of the highly anticipated clash, the 30-year-old Japanese champion spoke on his official YouTube channel (@YuyaWakamatsu0209) about the specific threats Pacio brings to the table.

"He's also very good at grappling and has really good physical techniques. So, on the ground, I think I have to be especially careful of his finishing guillotine chokes or rear-naked chokes," Yuya Wakamatsu said.

The Tribe Tokyo MMA representative's assessment reflects his respect for the Filipino's world-class ground game.

Pacio built his reputation as one of the top strikers in the game for a long time, but he has also proved that he can be a dangerous grappler capable of finishing fights from multiple positions.

He has secured numerous victories via submission throughout his career, with the guillotine choke and rear-naked choke being two of his most effective weapons.

Watch the full interview here:

---

Yuya Wakamatsu admits he still can't believe he's finally a world champion

In a separate interview with ONE Championship, Yuya Wakamatsu said it still feels like a dream to call himself an MMA world champion.

"Sometimes, I just think, 'Oh, right, I'm the champion.' I forgot I'm the champion. But my mindset hasn't really changed. Honestly, it still doesn't feel real to me," the 30-year-old reflected.

The Japanese martial artist captured the vacant flyweight MMA crown with a first-round TKO of former kingpin Adriano Moraes at ONE 172 in Saitama this past March, and now he looks to make his first successful world title defense on home soil.

Will he get his hand raised, or will 'The Passion' end his night as a two-division MMA world champion? Let us know below!

Tickets for ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri are available for purchase here. For viewing details in your region, head to watch.onefc.com.