Kholmirzaev Stopped Wakamatsu to Take the ONE Flyweight MMA
Avazbek Kholmirzaev knocked out Yuya Wakamatsu at 4:53 of round two on April 29, 2026, at ONE SAMURAI 1. The Uzbek challenger won the ONE flyweight MMA world championship by stopping the reigning champion in Tokyo.
A title changed hands
Wakamatsu entered the contest as the ONE flyweight MMA champion and defended the belt in front of a Japanese crowd. Kholmirzaev was the challenger, making the matchup one of the key championship fights on the card.
The first round did not produce a finish. In the second, Kholmirzaev landed the decisive attack and ended the contest by knockout at 4:53, according to ONE’s official results.
The result reversed the pre-fight expectation that Wakamatsu would be protecting his title successfully. The champion lost by stoppage, and the challenger left Tokyo with the belt.
Kholmirzaev’s breakthrough
ONE’s event page lists the fight as the flyweight MMA world championship, distinguishing it from the kickboxing and Muay Thai title contests on the same program. The result was a knockout, not a submission or judges’ decision.
For Kholmirzaev, the victory marked a major championship breakthrough in the promotion. For Wakamatsu, it ended the title reign in a home event where he had entered as champion.
The official results page confirms the participants, method and time. Those details correct any shorthand that might describe the contest only as a generic stoppage or imply the title remained with Wakamatsu.
Sources
- ONE Championship: official result and title change
- ONE Championship: event preview and championship status
