Yuya Wakamatsu Shocked By Joshua Pacio’s Strength During First Title Defense At ONE 173
Yuya Wakamatsu expected physical advantages when defending his ONE Flyweight MMA World Championship against smaller strawweight king Joshua Pacio at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri inside Tokyo’s Ariake Arena on November 16, yet the Filipino challenger’s strength — particularly in grappling exchanges — caught the Japanese fighter completely off guard before a devastating left hook nearly ended his reign in the opening round.
The 30-year-old earned a $50,000 performance bonus from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong for his second-round TKO victory at 54 seconds, yet his path to that emphatic finish nearly ended in disaster when Pacio’s power became evident. The devastating left hook dropped Wakamatsu and forced him into survival mode as the challenger attempted capitalizing on the moment.
Weight differences between divisions typically provide advantages in grappling exchanges, yet Pacio’s wrestling and strength proved formidable rather than diminished. Wakamatsu’s expectations of dominating the clinch and ground game evaporated once the Filipino legend demonstrated his physical capabilities remained elite despite the size disadvantage.
“No, I didn’t feel [the weight difference] at all. He was very strong, especially in the grappling department,” Wakamatsu revealed.
The Tribe Tokyo MMA representative’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, the flyweight king trapped the Filipino in a headlock and unleashed grounded knees that forced referee intervention — a sequence mirroring Christian Lee’s finish earlier that evening.
His recovery from early adversity demonstrated the mental toughness required against battle-tested opposition like Pacio, who had dominated the strawweight division for years through countless wars. When Wakamatsu hurt the resilient challenger in round two, he knew immediately he needed finishing the warrior who’d survived so many desperate situations.
“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, though his willingness acknowledging the difficulty Pacio presented showed respect for the challenger’s abilities while highlighting the resolve required overcoming adversity.
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