Fresh off his second-round finish over Joshua ‘The Passion’ Pacio late last year, Yuya ‘Little Piranha’ Wakamatsu is making the second defense of his ONE flyweight MMA world title against dangerous Uzbek knockout artist Avazbek ‘Ninzya’ Kholmirzaev.
The two will face off in the co-main event of the stacked ONE SAMURAI 1, which will broadcast live from the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, this Wednesday, April 29.
North American fans can check out live.onefc.com for more information on how to watch this blockbuster event live.
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Let’s take a look at predictions from the ONE Championship Sportskeeda team.
Atilano Diaz
It’s the classic story of a grizzled veteran versus a dangerous young challenger, and this is one that Wakamatsu will need to be at his absolute best to win.
Kholmirzaev is one of the most dynamic strikers in the game today, which is why Wakamatsu felt the need to train with ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka Yoshinari for this fight.
Both men are tough, Wakamatsu especially. He’s been tested time and again against the best fighters in the world, including one Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson. But even he may not have enough to stave off the absolute power of ‘Ninzya’.
Prediction: Avazbek Kholmirzaev via second-round TKO.
Ted Razon
Kholmirzaev will look to keep it standing early and test Wakamatsu’s chin. But the champion will drag it to the ground where he is most dangerous. Wakamatsu secures a rear-naked choke attempt, Kholmirzaev scrambles, and Wakamatsu transitions to ground-and-pound that forces the stoppage.
Prediction: Yuya Wakamatsu via second-round TKO.
Mike Murillo
This is going to be a close one as both fighters have it in them to hack out victories against each other. But being the more veteran fighter between the two, especially in big fights, I expect Wakamatsu to better handle what Kholmirzaev brings on fight night and would hold on for the full route for the decision win.
Prediction: Wakamatsu by decision.
James De Rozario
Avazbek Kholmirzaev has looked the part in ONE Championship, but Yuya Wakamatsu operates on a completely different plane than anyone the Uzbek has faced before.
Fight IQ, championship composure, and the kind of all-round arsenal that comes from years at the elite level should give ‘Little Piranha’ the edge in the early going.
Kholmirzaev, however, will come out aggressive – he always does – but Wakamatsu should have the answers in the first two rounds and will frustrate the challenger by neutralizing his pressure.
Round three is when the dam breaks. Expect Kholmirzaev to overcommit, leave a small opening, and pay for it.
I envision Wakamatsu landing a clean right hand to put the Uzbek on the canvas before finishing the job with a vicious ground-and-pound sequence to retain his spot atop the flyweight MMA throne.
Prediction: Yuya Wakamatsu to beat Avazbek Kholmirzaev via TKO in the third round.
Edited by Saiyed Adeem Karim
