Yuya Wakamatsu says he’s ready to prove ONE Championship has the best flyweight in the world – and wants to do it by facing UFC champion Alexandre Pantoja.
The 29-year-old Japanese star made the bold callout on Monday afternoon at the kickoff press conference for ONE 173 in Tokyo, where he is expected to make the first defence of the title he won in March.
“Who would I like to fight against? Anyone,” Wakamatsu said at Spiral Hall. “This is my duty – to prove to the world that the ONE flyweight title is the best in the world. If anyone gets in my way, I will beat them up.
“The biggest enemy is myself. Anyone is fine. But maybe we could have Alexandre Pantoja against me?”
Wakamatsu captured the vacant belt at ONE 172 at Saitama Super Arena, where he stopped former champion Adriano Moraes with a first-round TKO – a win that finally fulfilled the promise many fans saw when he debuted in 2018.
UFC-ONE cross-promotion, however, remains highly unlikely – a point even ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong acknowledged with a smile.
“That can happen any time,” Chatri said. “But unfortunately, we don’t have a contract with him.”
Chatri did hint, though, that Wakamatsu’s next opponent could be undefeated Uzbek standout Sanzhar Zakirov – who recently moved up from strawweight and boasts a perfect 13-0 record.
ONE Championship flyweight MMA champion Yuya Wakamatsu walks on stage with his belt at the ONE 173 press conference in Tokyo
“Maybe it will be someone new in the flyweight division,” Chatri said, “someone who has 13 wins.”
ONE has long pushed the narrative that its champions are the best in the world, particularly in the lower weight classes. Chatri has repeatedly said ONE is open to a champions-versus-champions showdown with the UFC – and has dismissed the idea of co-promoting with any other organization.
“They would win some, and so would we,” Chatri previously told media, in reference to a hypothetical UFC vs ONE supercard.
Last week, he shot down the possibility of working with GLORY Kickboxing, calling it a “small promotion” and asking, “Why would we give them the spotlight?”
While a Pantoja-Wakamatsu showdown remains a long shot, the Tokyo native made it clear he’s chasing legacy – and sees no one in his path.
The 29-year-old Japanese star made the bold callout on Monday afternoon at the kickoff press conference for ONE 173 in Tokyo, where he is expected to make the first defence of the title he won in March.
“Who would I like to fight against? Anyone,” Wakamatsu said at Spiral Hall. “This is my duty – to prove to the world that the ONE flyweight title is the best in the world. If anyone gets in my way, I will beat them up.
“The biggest enemy is myself. Anyone is fine. But maybe we could have Alexandre Pantoja against me?”
Wakamatsu captured the vacant belt at ONE 172 at Saitama Super Arena, where he stopped former champion Adriano Moraes with a first-round TKO – a win that finally fulfilled the promise many fans saw when he debuted in 2018.
UFC-ONE cross-promotion, however, remains highly unlikely – a point even ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong acknowledged with a smile.
“That can happen any time,” Chatri said. “But unfortunately, we don’t have a contract with him.”
Chatri did hint, though, that Wakamatsu’s next opponent could be undefeated Uzbek standout Sanzhar Zakirov – who recently moved up from strawweight and boasts a perfect 13-0 record.
ONE Championship flyweight MMA champion Yuya Wakamatsu walks on stage with his belt at the ONE 173 press conference in Tokyo
“Maybe it will be someone new in the flyweight division,” Chatri said, “someone who has 13 wins.”
ONE has long pushed the narrative that its champions are the best in the world, particularly in the lower weight classes. Chatri has repeatedly said ONE is open to a champions-versus-champions showdown with the UFC – and has dismissed the idea of co-promoting with any other organization.
“They would win some, and so would we,” Chatri previously told media, in reference to a hypothetical UFC vs ONE supercard.
Last week, he shot down the possibility of working with GLORY Kickboxing, calling it a “small promotion” and asking, “Why would we give them the spotlight?”
While a Pantoja-Wakamatsu showdown remains a long shot, the Tokyo native made it clear he’s chasing legacy – and sees no one in his path.
