Yuya Wakamatsu acknowledged that Joshua Pacio's strength caught him off guard during his first ONE Flyweight MMA World Championship defense, particularly after the Filipino dropped him with a left hook in the opening round.
The Japanese fighter earned a $50,000 performance bonus from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong for his second-round TKO victory over Pacio at ONE 173 inside Ariake Arena in Tokyo on Sunday, November 16. Despite the emphatic finish, Wakamatsu's path to victory nearly ended in disaster during the first round when Pacio's power became evident.
Pacio caught Wakamatsu with a devastating left hook that dropped the defending champion, forcing him into survival mode as the challenger attempted to capitalize on the moment. Wakamatsu expected advantages in the grappling exchanges given the weight difference between flyweight and strawweight, but Pacio's wrestling and strength proved formidable.
"No, I didn't feel [the weight difference] at all. He was very strong, especially in the grappling department," Wakamatsu revealed.
The 30-year-old's improved grappling skills saved him during that first-round crisis. Wakamatsu weathered the assault and began landing takedowns before finding his finish in round two. After dropping Pacio with an overhand right, Wakamatsu trapped the Filipino in a headlock and unleashed grounded knees that forced the stoppage at 54 seconds of the second round.
The sequence mirrored Christian Lee's finish earlier in the evening, with both champions utilizing ONE Championship's rule set that allows knees to grounded opponents. Wakamatsu's recovery from early adversity demonstrated his resolve required to defend against elite opposition like Pacio, who had dominated the strawweight division for years.
"He dropped me with a left hook, but then he came to grapple, and I was still clearing the cobwebs, but his wrestling felt very strong," Wakamatsu explained. "But I came in prepared to leave it all out in the first round, and when I was able to get to the side of the turtle [position], I was throwing ground and pound as hard as I could."
The victory prevented Pacio from becoming the first Filipino two-division champion while confirming Wakamatsu's status atop the flyweight division. His willingness to acknowledge the difficulty Pacio presented, particularly in grappling exchanges where weight advantages typically matter, showed respect for the challenger's abilities while highlighting the mental toughness required to overcome adversity against a battle-tested opponent.
