"I was really surprised" - Yuya Wakamatsu pleasantly shocked to face strawweight titleholder Joshua Pacio at ONE 173

Yuya Wakamatsu admits he never expected to face a sitting world champion when ONE Championship finalized his first world title defense at ONE 173.

The 30-year-old reigning ONE flyweight MMA world champion was surprised when he learned that strawweight MMA king Joshua Pacio would be his opponent inside Tokyo's Ariake Arena on Sunday, November 16.

Though initially surprised, the chance to compete against someone of Pacio's caliber was something 'Little Piranha' knew would be special.

While speaking with ONE Championship, Yuya Wakamatsu said:

"When I first heard the match was confirmed, I honestly thought I'd be facing a different opponent. I never imagined it would be Joshua Pacio, the strawweight champion. I was really surprised—but at the same time, I'm truly honored and excited to share the cage with him."

Yuya Wakamatsu's excitement about sharing the cage with Pacio signifies he relishes the opportunity to test himself against someone operating at the same elite level.

Both men have a lot on the line in Tokyo, after all.

For the Tribe Tokyo MMA representative, he's eager to build on his stunning title-winning performance over Adriano Moraes at ONE 172 in Saitama in March this year. The Japanese sensation defeated the Brazilian in their rematch via a TKO in the first round.

On Pacio's end, the Lions Nation MMA product aims to join the rarified air and become a two-division MMA world champ, like Christian Lee (lightweight and welterweight titleholder) and Anatoly Malykhin (middleweight and light heavyweight champion).

Both men's all-around abilities should stack well against one another in this all-championship showdown set for ONE 173 in Ariake Arena on Sunday, November 16. Fight fans can follow this link to purchase tickets to watch this card live and in person.

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Yuya Wakamatsu won't underestimate Pacio in Tokyo

While size and power should favor him, Yuya Wakamatsu isn't looking past Joshua Pacio's abilities when they meet later this year.

The Tribe Tokyo MMA representative has done extensive homework on the Lions Nation MMA fighter. Based on what he's seen, the 30-year-old knows he won't have any room for error if he wants to defend his gold at the first attempt.

During the same interview with the promotion, the Japanese MMA star explained:

"Pacio has beaten some really strong fighters, so even though he's coming up from a lower weight class, he's not to be underestimated. I think he's a champion who represents ONE."

Who comes out on top in this must-watch world title matchup at ONE 173? Will it be Wakamatsu, or could Pacio end his night as a two-division MMA world champion? Let us know below!