Japanese ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion Yuya Wakamatsu will make his first title defense against one of MMA's most accomplished champions when Joshua Pacio moves up from strawweight to challenge for flyweight gold at ONE 173 on 16 November.
The 30-year-old Kagoshima native captured the flyweight title by defeating Brazil’s most dominant champion Adriano Moraes at ONE 172 and now faces the daunting task of defending against a multiple-time beltholder seeking to make history.
Wakamatsu's humble demeanour at last week's press conference reflected his respectful relationship with the challenging Filipino superstar.
"We've met each other many times at other venues. And I think he's a nice guy," the Tribe Tokyo MMA representative said.
Despite his modest words, Wakamatsu carries impressive credentials into his first defense, holding nine ONE wins and 19-6 professional mark that earned him the opportunity to dethrone Moraes.
His opponent presents one of the sport's most formidable challenges.
The 29-year-old Pacio brings a 14-4 ONE record built during his dominant strawweight reign.
The Baguio City native has tremendous respect for the champion's abilities and recent accomplishments.
"I respect him a lot. I've seen how he worked hard and got the championship belt. And he's a champion for a reason – he's the best flyweight in the world right now. You know, he's silent and humble, but I tell you: he's deadly," Pacio said.
The Lions Nation MMA fighter enters on a three-fight winning streak but faces the additional challenge of competing in an unfamiliar weight class against a champion eager to establish his reign.
For Pacio, this represents more than personal achievement as he carries the hopes of Filipino youth.
"November 16, we're competing against the best flyweight in the world. And I'm not just trying to be the two-division World Champion, I will become a two-division World Champion for the Filipino youths in my country," he said.
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