Yuya Wakamatsu to defend ONE Flyweight World Title against Avazbek Kholmirzaev at ONE Samurai 1 in Tokyo

ONE Flyweight Champion Yuya Wakamatsu defends his title against Avazbek Kholmirzaev at ONE Samurai 1 in Tokyo's Ariake Arena this April.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 3, 2026, 7:24 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Fighters Only

A Homecoming Defense for the Champion

Yuya Wakamatsu is set to return to Tokyo on April 29 to defend his ONE Flyweight World Championship at the inaugural ONE Samurai 1 event. Held at the Ariake Arena, the bout marks Wakamatsu’s first major defense since his historic run in 2025. The TRIBE Tokyo MMA representative has become the face of the division, turning a career once defined by setbacks into a redemption story that culminated in a first-round knockout of Adriano Moraes to seize the throne.

The Rise of the 2025 Fighter of the Year

Wakamatsu’s current five-fight winning streak is a testament to his technical evolution. Beyond his power-punching reputation, he proved his elite-level versatility at ONE 173 by finishing reigning strawweight king Joshua Pacio via a second-round TKO. This sustained excellence earned him ONE’s 2025 MMA Fighter of the Year honors, solidifying his status as a complete mixed martial artist capable of dominating both strikers and grapplers alike.

Kholmirzaev’s Path to the Title Shot

The challenger, 24-year-old Avazbek Kholmirzaev, represents the new wave of talent emerging from Uzbekistan. Kholmirzaev’s ascent began on the ONE Friday Fights circuit, where a high-pressure victory over veteran Tatsumitsu Wada earned him a $100,000 main-roster contract. Since then, the "Uzbek Finisher" has compiled a 9-1 promotional record, using a blend of elite grappling and resilient striking to dismantle the flyweight ranks.