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Andrew Whitelaw

Yuya Wakamatsu has waited his entire combat sports life for this kind of moment.
The 30-year-old finally reached the summit when he became the ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion in Tokyo earlier this year, fulfilling a dream he once believed might not be possible. Now he returns home to defend that title for the first time, determined to show he is not only the man who climbed the mountain, but the man who belongs at the top of it.
Wakamatsu faces ONE strawweight champion Joshua Pacio at ONE 173 in Tokyo, in a match-up that could have an impact across both divisions. For the champion, the location could not be more meaningful. Winning gold in Japan inspired powerful emotions, and he believes fighting again in front of his own people gives him an even greater sense of purpose.
“When I won the belt in Japan, everything gave me strength,” Wakamatsu said. “Even my past defeats felt like they finally paid off.”
For Wakamatsu, that victory helped reinvigorate his career. He said he felt like if he failed to win the title that night, he might have felt like he had reached a dead end.


Instead, the triumph reignited his belief and set new fire beneath him.
“MMA is my best job,” he said. “It is the only sport truly right for me.
“It teaches me everything: mind, technique, body and what strength really means.”
Pacio enters the fight carrying a nation’s hopes. Wakamatsu recognises that, calling the Filipino a dangerous all-rounder who fights with pride and represents his country every time he steps into the cage. Pacio has power, sharp vision, strong grappling and the ability to change a fight suddenly.
“He can do everything,” Wakamatsu said. “He has good eyes, he can finish when he needs to, and I think he will grapple too. It is a very dangerous match-up.”
Wakamatsu is not too interested in predictions, especially when it comes to whether Pacio can withstand his power over five rounds. But the champion said the fight is not against Pacio alone. The true challenge is within himself.
“If I overcome my weakness and give everything, the result will follow,” he said. “If I lose, then the opponent was stronger. That is it.”
While Wakamatsu has already avenged defeats to Danny Kingad and Adriano Moraes, there will be no chance to settle his score with Hall of Famer Demetrious Johnson, who retired last year. Wakamatsu said he had no regrets, though he felt he could defeat the American legend now, given his growth as a fighter.
“It is what it is,” he said. “But I believe that if I put 100 per cent into a fight with him, I can win.”
ONE 173 has been hailed as one of the most stacked martial arts cards ever held in Japan. Wakamatsu said it was perhaps even bigger and better than ONE’s previous blockbuster at Saitama Super Arena. He said the clash between Christian Lee and Alibeg Rasulove is a likely candidate for fight of the night, but hoped his own performance surpasses anything else on the card.
With this defence, Wakamatsu is aiming to cement his status as the face of the division and of Japanese MMA within ONE Championship. A win over Pacio, he believes, would make that conversation undeniable.
“Beating a champion like Pacio is very important,” he said. “I want fans to watch and understand the difference between ONE and other organisations. I want to finish this fight with a result that shows that.”


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ONE Championship: Wakamatsu out to defend title on home soil

Yuya Wakamatsu is out to defend Flyweight MMA title on home soil. Photo: ONE Championship

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Joshua Pacio is looking to become the Philippines’ first two-division world champion. Photo: ONE Championship

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Kana Morimoto (right) said Stamp Fairtex (left), wearing a traditional yukata, was “kind of aggressive” at their pre-fight press conference in Tokyo. Photo: ONE Championship

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Kana Morimoto earned her nickname after a run of knockouts on the Japanese circuit. Photo: ONE Championship 

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Sport

Martial Arts

After becoming ONE Flyweight MMA world champion earlier this year, Japanese fighter does not want to let it slip in Tokyo


After becoming ONE Flyweight MMA world champion earlier this year, Japanese fighter does not want to let it slip in Tokyo.


Demetrious Johnson

Christian Lee

ONE Championship: Wakamatsu out to defend title on home soil

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}After becoming ONE Flyweight MMA world champion earlier this year, Japanese fighter does not want to let it slip in Tokyo

After becoming ONE Flyweight MMA world champion earlier this year, Japanese fighter does not want to let it slip in Tokyo