Former Champion Yuya Wakamatsu Faces South Africa's Willie Van Rooyen at ONE SAMURAI 3

Wakamatsu, the former two-time ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion, will take on South Africa's Willie van Rooyen at ONE SAMURAI 3, which goes down at Yokohama Buntai in Yokohama, Japan, on Saturday, September 12.

The Japanese star steps back into the Circle looking to reestablish himself as the division's top contender after losing his title to Avazbek Kholmirzaev at ONE SAMURAI 1 in April.

Van Rooyen, meanwhile, is building toward his first shot at the flyweight elite after a strong bounce-back performance over Filipino veteran Jeremy Miado earlier this year.

Wakamatsu Looks to Rebuild After Title Loss

Wakamatsu made his promotional debut in 2018 and navigated back-to-back losses before stringing together a five-fight winning streak.

Further setbacks followed before three consecutive victories earned him a shot at the vacant ONE Flyweight MMA World Championship, which he claimed by demolishing former longtime kingpin Adriano Moraes on home soil in March 2025.

His title reign reached its high point eight months later with a champion versus champion defense against Joshua Pacio last November. But it was Kholmirzaev who took the gold from him at ONE SAMURAI 1 this past April.

Wakamatsu’s 20-7 MMA record – and 14 career victories via finish – reflect a fighter who has been at the top of the flyweight MMA picture for years and has the motivation of a former champion who knows exactly what it takes to get back to the top.

Van Rooyen Targets a Statement Win at ONE SAMURAI 3

Van Rooyen, a 23-year-old from A-Team Stars, carries an 8-1 career record with six stoppage wins into the contest and the kind of explosive finishing ability that has caught the attention of the flyweight MMA division.

His promotional debut in November 2025 against the future champion Kholmirzaev ended in a submission loss, but the South African responded emphatically four months later with a third-round TKO of Filipino veteran Jeremy Miado that confirmed his credentials as a genuine divisional force.

Facing a former two-time world champion in Japan gives van Rooyen the highest-profile opportunity of his career so far. A victory on Japanese soil against one of the division's most accomplished fighters would immediately establish him as a serious title contender.

Former Champ Meets Rising Contender in a Clash with Major Implications

The matchup between Wakamatsu and van Rooyen carries significant weight for both the fighters and the flyweight division.

A Wakamatsu victory would put him directly back in the conversation for a title shot against Kholmirzaev, closing the loop on a rivalry that began at ONE SAMURAI 1 and giving the division one of its most compelling rematches.

Van Rooyen's path to championship contention runs directly through Wakamatsu on September 12. A proven finisher defeating a former champion in the former champion's home country would be one of the more significant upsets the flyweight division has seen in recent memory, and the South African's finishing ability makes that outcome entirely plausible.

Either way, the winner could potentially secure a rematch with Kholmirzaev for the gold.