Yuya Wakamatsu looks to put on an absolute spectacle against Joshua Pacio at ONE 173: “Get the crowd fired up”

Yuya Wakamatsu (L) and Joshua Pacio (R) | Image by ONE Championship
Yuya Wakamatsu (L) and Joshua Pacio (R) | Image by ONE Championship

Japanese superstar Yuya 'Little Piranha' Wakamatsu wants to spoil fellow ONE world champion Joshua Pacio's dreams of two-division supremacy.

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The reigning ONE flyweight MMA world champion's first world title defense is all set at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri on November 16 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

Wakamatsu will enter this showdown with the utmost respect for his Filipino counterpart, who has lorded over the ONE strawweight MMA ranks.

Pacio is coming off a legacy-defining performance against rival Jarred Brooks at ONE 171 last February, where he unified the 125-pound belts.

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Still, the heavy-handed Wakamatsu wants to prove that flyweight is his domain by decimating his credentialed challenger once they share the ONE Circle.

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The Tribe Tokyo ace told ONE Championship ahead of this champion vs. champion tiff:

"I’m confident it’ll get the crowd fired up. I’m not out to knock someone out specifically—I just want to have a fight where I overcome myself."

The legend of Yuya Wakamatsu's destructive power is enough to send shivers down his opponents' spines.

The 30-year-old has now won four straight, capped off by his one-round decimation of multi-time flyweight MMA world champion Adriano 'Mikinho' Moraes at ONE 172 last May to capture 26 pounds of gold.

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Yuya Wakamatsu refuses to hand flyweight throne to anyone

While Yuya Wakamatsu acknowledges the caliber of his upcoming challenger, he's not the type to get fazed easily.

After all, the Japanese superstar endured ups and downs in the home of martial arts before finally achieving his dream of becoming the top dog in the ONE flyweight MMA division.

That said, Wakamatsu vowed to do everything in his power to make sure the 135-pound crown remains in Japan.

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'Little Piranha' told ONE:

"I won't give it up easily. By defending it, I want to prove my worth as a true champion."

Keep up with Sportskeeda MMA and ONE Championship for the latest on Wakamatsu and Pacio's champion vs champion clash

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

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Edited by Saiyed Adeem Karim
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