‘I Was Immature’ – Yuya Wakamatsu Details His Improved Mindset Ahead Of World Title Rematch With Adriano Moraes

On March 23 at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang, #2-ranked flyweight MMA contender Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu will look to showcase his development as both a fighter and human being over the past three years.

That night at the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Japan, the 30-year-old Tokyo resident will rematch Brazilian superstar and #1-ranked contender Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes for the vacant ONE Flyweight MMA World Title.

Wakamatsu first battled Moraes three years ago at ONE X, suffering a third-round submission loss in his unsuccessful bid for the Brazilian’s flyweight MMA crown.

Now three years later – and with the World Title sitting vacant following the retirement of former divisional king Demetrious Johnson – the Japanese fighter is able to reflect on his previous shortcomings.

Wakamatsu candidly told onefc.com that he simply wasn’t in the right mindset:

“Looking back at the ONE X event, when I fought, I was immature and I just felt overwhelmed. My mentality was such that I was confident, yet imperfect.

“The reason for my loss was really that I was unable to overcome myself. That’s all. That was the reason.”

Of course, Wakamatsu has diligently worked to improve his ground game, physical conditioning, and overal MMA skills since that defeat. He’s also been working hard to sharpen his mindset.

That work has paid off, and he’ll come into ONE 172 riding an impressive three-fight winning streak. According to “Little Piranha,” Moraes will be facing an entirely different opponent this time around:

“The difference between where I was three years ago and where I am now is, in other words, I have realized what it means to fight, or what’s the purpose of life. This I realized is not just being strong, but also to overcome my own weakness, as I have done every single day in the past three years.

“So regardless of who the opponent is, the opponent I realized is just me who cannot be bold enough, or who succumbs to his own weakness – so that’s the biggest difference from three years ago.”

Armed with a stronger mind and deeper level of self-awareness, Wakamatsu feels more prepared than ever to finally claim 26 pounds of ONE Championship gold.

He’s ready, he said, to put everything on the line:

“For me, this World Championship is the one that I must go after with all my determination as if this is the last chance, which is the difference. I will fight as if it is my last match.”

Wakamatsu Eager To Entertain His Hometown Crowd

In addition to his new and improved mindset, Yuya Wakamatsu feels like the stars are aligning for him to defeat Adriano Moraes and capture the ONE Flyweight MMA World Title.

On this occasion, he’ll be competing in front of an adoring Japanese crowd, setting the stage for an unforgettable moment and the biggest victory of his career:

“This time, I’ll fight for a World Title in Japan. I would say this is the biggest challenge for me in my time with ONE. I appreciate such an opportunity. This is exactly why I am grateful for ONE. I feel like this is the chance I cannot miss, as they have set up everything for me.”

Indeed, the moment of truth for Wakamatsu is rapidly approaching – a career-defining opportunity on a monumental fight card in front of a home crowd.

With so much on the line, he can guarantee one thing: entertainment:

“I am very confident this time, and I believe however it ends up, this fight will be an exciting one.”