Adriano Moraes versus Yuya Wakamatsu II booked for ONE 172  

At ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang, the coveted ONE Flyweight MMA World Championship will finally find a new home.  

Former divisional king Demetrious Johnson retired this past September at ONE 168. Now the gold will return to former king Adriano Moraes or leave with #2-ranked contender Yuya Wakamatsu. The two clash on Sunday, March 23, 2025, inside Tokyo, Japan’s iconic Saitama Super Arena.  

Across a 10-year stint in ONE Championship, Moraes has won the flyweight MMA strap eight times, cementing himself as a legend of the division.  

Included in those wins is Wakamatsu. The pair collided at ONE X in 2022, when the Japanese stud’s five-fight winning streak was brought to an end by Moraes via a third-round guillotine. It was the same finish he used against Danny Kingad at ONE 169 last month to punch his ticket to March’s World Title bout. 

But three years on, “Little Piranha” will be out for revenge. He looks to make good on his second World Title bid.

The 29-year-old has beaten some of the best names since. More recently, Wakamatsu boasts a three-fight winning streak. He beat Xie Wei, Kingad, and Gilbert Nakatani at ONE Fight Night 26 to solidify himself as the #2-ranked star in the flyweight MMA division. 

Moraes will be looking to double his lead over his Japanese foe. But Wakamatsu will be more motivated than ever to avenge the past. If he does, he would cement himself as the future with the World Title around his waist.  

Yuya Wakamatsu believes he can knock out Adriano Moraes

Second-ranked ONE flyweight MMA contender Yuya Wakamatsu doesn’t just believe he can finally win the vacant World Title. He thinks he can do it in the most emphatic fashion possible. 

The Japanese superstar meets Adriano Moraes for the vacant ONE Flyweight MMA World Title at ONE 172 next March. While Wakamatsu will be tested, he insists he can not only topple Moraes but knock him out in the process. 

“I want the ONE Championship belt. ONE Championship is the place where strong people and strong athletes assemble,” Wakamatsu said. 

“I will believe in myself, keep pressing forward, and knock him out.”