ONE 173: Joshua Pacio gives props to upcoming opponent Yuya Wakamatsu at ONE 173: “I’ve seen how he worked hard”

Reigning and undisputed ONE strawweight MMA world champion ‘The Passion’ Joshua Pacio of the Philippines has nothing but respect for ONE flyweight MMA world champion ‘Little Piranha’ Yuya Wakamatsu of Japan ahead of their upcoming world title clash.

The former Team Lakay veteran has watched Wakamatsu since the very beginning of his ONE career, and he has built an admiration for the Japanese fighter.

The Baguio City native has seen how ‘Little Piranha’ fought his way through the elite to finally achieve his dream of becoming a ONE world champion.

That is why Pacio understands just how big a challenge he faces when he attempts to wrest the flyweight gold from Wakamatsu’s grasp at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri later this year.

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Speaking to the media at the official ONE 173 Tokyo press conference, Pacio shared:

"I've seen Wakamatsu. He's, you know, the very first time that he entered ONE Championship, and I respected him a lot. I've seen how he worked hard and got the championship belt."

Pacio challenges Wakamatsu for the ONE flyweight MMA world title at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri, which will broadcast live in U.S. primetime from the Ariak Arena in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, November 16.

Fans in the United States and Canada can visit ONE Championship’s official website or head to watch.onefc.com for more information on how to watch the event live from their location.

Joshua Pacio dedicates next fight to young Filipinos: "I need to inspire them"

Joshua Pacio revealed his deeper motivation for attempting to become the latest two-division world champion at ONE 173, and it’s to inspire the youth.

‘The Passion’ told the media:

"I'm not just trying to be the two-division World Champion, I will become a two-division world champion this November 16 for the Filipino youths in my country. And I need to inspire them so that they will see that they can too, someday, be a champion in their own chosen profession."

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding Joshua Pacio’s next fight.

About the author

Dan is an MMA writer with 10+ years of overall experience. Before his ongoing tenure at Sportskeeda, Dan got the opportunity to be at the forefront of the sport by contributing to ONE Championship and Fight Game Asia. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology.

Dan’s connection to MMA started during the early days of the UFC and ONE Championship. He previously practiced boxing and ranks Demetrious Johnson, Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, and Fedor Emelianenko as the top five MMA fighters of all time.

He has covered several events onsite and on the ground for ONE Championship and hopes to continue doing so. He ensures that he churns out accurate articles by citing only legitimate sources and getting firsthand accounts through exclusive interviews whenever required.

Dan feels MMA fighter pay seems like an issue because it often gets compared to what fighters earn in boxing but that MMA will eventually catch up in the future.

His other interests include soccer and video games.

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Edited by Himakshu Vyas