Wakamatsu Captures Vacant Flyweight MMA Crown, Phetjeeja Retains Gold After Five-Round Thriller At ONE 172
Japanese hero Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu and Thai striking dynamo “The Queen” Phetjeeja emerged victorious in their respective ONE World Title contests before the epic ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang headline attraction.
The former drew level with his old nemesis, while the latter showcased why she’s one of the best striking specialists today inside Saitama Super Arena on Sunday, March 23.
To find out what went down inside the iconic venue in Japan, check out the recaps below or relive all the action via Watch.ONEFC.com.
Wakamatsu Crowned New ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion
Yuya Wakamatsu promised a different ending in his rematch with Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes, and boy, he couldn’t have written the script any better.
Wakamatsu claimed the ONE Flyweight MMA World Championship via TKO in the first round in front of the red-hot crowd in “The Land of the Rising Sun” almost three years after having his dreams crushed by the Brazilian’s vicious submission game in Singapore.
From the onset, the Tribe Tokyo MMA representative loaded up on big shots, and he was rewarded early. A big right hand forced the former longtime king to clinch, but a clean left punch just as they disengaged hurt the top-ranked contender.
“Little Piranha” then lived up to his nickname to nibble away on “Mikinho,” cornering him before connecting on a left hook and an uppercut combination, which forced the American Top Team standout to turtle up.
From there, Wakamatsu put the pedal to the metal to realize his dream of claiming 26 pounds of gold on martial arts’ grandest stage. The 30-year-old attacked with a final salvo of strikes to get the stoppage at the 3:39 mark alongside a US$50,000 performance bonus.
Wakamatsu’s highlight-reel display took him to 19-6 in his career. It was also his fourth-straight triumph on the global stage.
Phetjeeja Outshines Kana To Retain Atomweight Kickboxing Gold
Phetjeeja outlasted Japanese challenger and four-time K-1 champion Kana to retain her ONE Women’s Atomweight Kickboxing World Title in a highly entertaining back-and-forth encounter.
The battle boiled down between volume and power. Kana’s activity, speed, and footwork were at full display in the first round, but Phetjeeja turned to her power and accuracy to stop her opposite number’s flurries in the second.
That stark contrast continued in the third, with “The Queen” having the answers to the Team Aftermath athlete’s volley of strikes, landing heavier blows to halt the 32-year-old’s aggression.
Phetjeeja continued to land the cleaner shots as the championship rounds unfolded – including what was her money shot of the tie, a right straight that rocked the Japanese at the end of the fourth.
While the hometown favorite continued to push the action in the fifth frame, Phetjeeja stayed composed by picking her spots and responding with body shot-hook combinations.
Just as impressive as she was in attack, “The Queen” dazzled with her footwork and head movement to close out the fight just as Kana bit on her mouthpiece and threw a final Hail Mary to score some action on her end.
With her triumph, Phetjeeja improved to 209-6 in her career and extended her spotless campaign in the world’s largest martial arts organization to 7-0.
