Preview: One Championship 'Conquest of Heroes'

Flyweights

Danny Kingad (10-1-0) vs. Yuya Wakamatsu (10-2-0)

Yuya Wakamatsu (Japan) has been given a tough assignment for his first outing under the ONE Championship banner. Wakamatsu is one of the recent crop of Japanese fighters who have joined the company and will take on Danny Kingad (Philippines) in his ONE debut. Wakamatsu, nicknamed “Little Piranha” trains out of Tribe Tokyo MMA, and has spent the bulk of his career competing at Pancrase, where he was regarded as one of the most explosive knock-out artists in the promotion. The 23-year-old has nine KO victories to his name and looks set to be a valuable addition to ONE’s flyweight roster.

Team Lakay’s Kingad brings to the cage that highlight-reel striking ability fans typically associate with the Baguio City gym. Kingad is primarily a stand-up fighter but he has worked diligently to develop his wrestling skills. These skills were showcased in his last bout, a unanimous decision victory over Ma Hao Bin (China). Hao Bin, known for his wrestling, often struggled against Kingad when the fight was on the ground, and at times it was hard to determine exactly who was meant to be the submission expert. Wakamatsu will feel confident in his ability to hurt the Filipino while the fight remains standing and if Kingad decides to stand and return fire, we could see a high-level striking contest unfold.

Continue Reading » Gafurov vs. Matsushima