‘MMA In The Purest Sense’ – Christian Lee, Yuya Wakamatsu Reflect On Explosive Finishes At ONE 173
Two-division ONE MMA World Champion Christian “The Warrior” Lee and ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu delivered strikingly similar performances to retain their respective belts at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri last weekend.
Inside Tokyo’s packed Ariake Arena on Sunday, November 16, both men secured second-round TKO victories, stopping their opponents with vicious grounded knees.
In the first of four World Title bouts, Lee erased all doubt in a highly anticipated rematch with previously unbeaten Alibeg Rasulov, handing the Turkish sensation his first career loss to successfully defend his ONE Lightweight MMA World Championship.
Then, in the co-main event of the evening, Wakamatsu sent his hometown fans into a frenzy by stopping ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio, who moved up to a weight class in search of two-division supremacy.
Both men earned US$50,000 performance bonuses from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong. Afterward, they shared their thoughts on their dominant victories at ONE 173.
Lee Credits ONE Championship Rule Set For Thrilling Performance
Christian Lee’s rematch with Alibeg Rasulov proved decisive after their first encounter last year ended anticlimactically due to an inadvertent eye poke.
The 27-year-old superstar weathered an early storm when the Turkish grinder surprised him by going for a takedown. On the mat, Lee showcased the calm poise of a World Champion, returned to his feet, and pieced up Rasulov with surgical precision.
After getting tagged early in round two, Rasulov desperately shot for another takedown. But Lee sprawled, locked in a tight D’Arce choke, and unleashed vicious grounded knees that forced the referee to call a halt to the contest.
With 17 stoppages in 18 career wins, Lee has established himself as one of MMA’s most prolific finishers. For the Prodigy Training Center representative, ONE’s Global MMA Rule Set — which allows knees to grounded opponents — provides the ideal platform for his exciting finishing style.
“The Warrior” said:
“I love the ONE Championship rule set. I think that knees to a grounded opponent is MMA in the purest sense. The sport was designed to figure out who the best fighter in the world is across any discipline.
“And I believe with mixed martial arts, you’re able to prove that you’re the best fighter in the world. And with the martial arts, with the ONE Championship rule set, it allows me to put that on perfectly, so I’m very grateful for it.”
With the score settled against Rasulov, Lee now turns his attention to his next challenge. He promises more activity in 2026 with defending his welterweight MMA gold taking top priority.
Lee mapped out his path forward:
“I’m staying active in both divisions. And once I get word on who the clear contender is, then I’ll be getting ready for that division. I do have my eyes set on the welterweight division, and right now I’ll be waiting on who the next opponent is.”
Wakamatsu Admits ‘Very Strong’ Pacio Was Tougher Than Expected
Yuya Wakamatsu delivered a statement performance in his first World Title defense, ushering in a new era of flyweight MMA dominance in devastating fashion.
The Japanese superstar’s finish mirrored Lee’s sequence earlier in the night. After dropping Pacio with an overhand right, Wakamatsu trapped the Filipino star in a headlock and unleashed unforgiving knees to the head that forced the referee to intervene.
But despite the emphatic stoppage, Wakamatsu’s path to victory nearly ended in disaster during the opening round.
The Japanese star’s aggressive nature left him exposed. As a result, Pacio caught Wakamatsu with a devastating left hook that dropped the defending champion. As the Filipino swiftly moved in to capitalize on the situation, “Little Piranha” had to dig deep in survival mode.
Wakamatsu admitted Pacio’s strength caught him off guard. “Little Piranha” finally understood why his esteemed opponent had dominated the strawweight division for years.
The Tribe Tokyo MMA affiliate revealed:
“No, I didn’t feel [the weight difference] at all. He was very strong, especially in the grappling department.”
Wakamatsu’s own improved grappling saved him in that first-round crisis. The Japanese star weathered the assault and began slamming Pacio repeatedly to the canvas.
When he hurt the resilient strawweight king in round two, Wakamatsu knew immediately he needed to go for the kill against a warrior who had survived countless wars.
The 30-year-old flyweight MMA king explained:
“He dropped me with a left hook, but then he came to grapple, and I was still clearing the cobwebs, but his wrestling felt very strong.
“But I came in prepared to leave it all out in the first round, and when I was able to get to the side of the turtle [position], I was throwing ground and pound as hard as I could.”
