Watch: Matt Hume Speaks On Yuya Wakamatsu's star potential, possible ONE Championship title shot
ONE Championship Vice President of Operations and MMA genius Matt Hume recently spoke about ONE flyweight contender Yuya 'Little Piranha' Wakamatsu. The former head coach to UFC great Demetrious Johnson and ONE Championship bantamweight king Bibiano Fernandes sang Wakamatsu's praises. In a recent interview with YouTube channel ABEMA, Hume had this to say about the Japanese dynamo's knockout power:
"I think Yuya [Wakamatsu] has everything it takes to land a knockout punch on [ONE Champion] Adriano Moraes if they end up meeting. He's got everything to be a star in ONE Championship."
Wakamatsu, who faces Chinese star 'Wolf Warrior' Hu Yong at ONE: Winter Warriors, was already in line to face ONE Championship flyweight king Adriano 'Mikinho' Moraes. However, due to scheduling conflicts, the fight never materialized.
Instead of sitting on the sidelines, 'Little Piranha' opted to fight to keep himself busy. Known for his earth-rattling power, Wakamatsu famously welcomed Hume's greatest student, Demetrious Johnson, to the ONE Circle. Despite being on the losing end, the Kagoshima native showed promise as his timing, speed and distance control gave Johnson some problems. Here's what the former UFC flyweight champ had to say about their fight:
Demetrious Johnson breaks down his epic battle with Japanese superstar Yuya Wakamatsu 🎤 @MightyMouse #WeAreONE #ANewEra #Tokyo #MartialArts https://t.co/gktZwfO2vs
Watch the entire Matt Hume interview and other Yuya Wakamatsu highlights, right here:
Yuya Wakamatsu vs. Hu Yong opens a stacked ONE Championship: Winter Warriors card
On December 3, Yuya Wakamatsu and Hu Yong will clash in an exciting flyweight MMA fight that will surely set the tone of the event. It's the perfect way to start an epic card that showcases fights in MMA, kickboxing and Muay Thai.
Regian Eersel defends his ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title, Stamp Fairtex and Ritu Phogat battle it out in the ONE Women's Atomweight World Grand Prix Championship Final, and more! 🤩 @PhogatRitu @MarcusBuchecha @Yuya0209C4 #ONEWinterWarriors #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship https://t.co/lN20ubypa5
Once the cage door shuts and the bell rings, don't blink. The clash between Wakamatsu and Yong will be fought at break-neck pace. Both sluggers are agile, fast and explosive. They will both look to catch each other early and gain momentum swiftly and furiously. Be sure to tune in on December 3 to see the drama and action unfold.