Yuya Wakamatsu confident he can pass Joshua Pacio test: “I will definitely come out on top”

ONE flyweight MMA world champion Yuya Wakamatsu got himself a tough challenge in his first title defense in strawweight king Joshua Pacio. He, however, is confident of being able to handle it and extend his reign.

'Little Piranha' is set to battle 'The Passion' in an all-champion title clash at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri on Nov. 16 at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. It will be the Tribe Tokyo MMA standout's first defense after claiming the then-vacant ONE flyweight championship belt in March with an impressive opening-round TKO win over former flyweight world champion Adriano Moraes of Brazil.

In an interview with ONE Championship after learning about his scheduled title defense, Wakamatsu admitted that Pacio would be a tough cookie to deal with but he is nonetheless confident of his abilities to emerge victorious.

The 30-year-old Japanese champion said:

"Joshua Pacio is the current world champion and a dangerous fighter with well-rounded skills. But I believe that if I stick to what I need to do, I will definitely come out on top."

Yuya Wakamatsu has been on a solid roll of late, winning his last four matches. It reached a significant level in his last outing, where he showed true Japanese warrior spirit. He never allowed Moraes to get his game going before finishing things in the opening round with a barrage of strikes to earn the TKO win and the flyweight MMA world title.

Looking to make it a short reign for Wakamatsu at ONE 173 is Pacio, who is eyeing a piece of history as a two-division world champion by adding the flyweight gold to the strawweight belt already in his possession with a win.

For more information on ONE 173: Superbon vs Noiri, follow Sportskeeda MMA and ONE Championship.

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Yuya Wakamatsu determined to keep flyweight world title at ONE 173

Yuya Wakamatsu took a while before realizing his goal of becoming ONE world champion. That is why he is determined to extend his reign when he makes his first title defense at ONE 173.

He spoke about his goal as world champion after claiming the ONE flyweight MMA world title in his last outing in March, highlighting that he will do everything he can to be champion for a long time, not only for himself but also for those who support him.

Wakamatsu shared on an Instagram post:

"From now on, as a champion, I will be even stricter on myself than before, and I will do my best to defend the throne while having fun. Thank you so much to everyone for your support! ! ! ! ! !"

In going for a successful title defense, Yuya Wakamatsu will also be banking on the support of the hometown crowd at ONE 173, which will be the second show of ONE Championship in Japan this year.