ONE Strawweight champion Joshua Pacio is set to defend his title for the first time. And this fighter from Baguio City is pretty sure that better days are yet to come.
“For me, 2018 has been absolutely amazing, especially for our team, but it’s only the beginning. I’m still young, hungry and determined, despite having the belt around my waist,” said Pacio as posted on ONEFC.com.
Goal: Defend the Title
Pacio added that his main goal is to defend his “title to the best of my ability.” One man stands on his way, though, a tough Japanese opponent in the person of Yosuke Saruta.
“Getting through that will be the first step. I’m still evolving and developing as an athlete. I don’t think the world has seen the best of Joshua Pacio yet,” the ONE Strawweight champ promises.
But his opponent is no pushover. If you have no idea who Yosuke Saruta is, the Japanese MMA fighter is also a Shooto Strawweight World Champion
Pacio explains his formula of winning, “We research, study, and learn. We adapt, and we apply. I am so proud to be a part of Team Lakay and to represent my country on the global stage of ONE Championship. I will do everything I can to keep the title.”
Two More Pinoy MMA Greats
Aside from Pacio, two more Filipino MMA fighters will see action at ONE Championship; Eternal Glory. A total of fifteen bouts will be featured that night including a preliminary for Super Series Kickboxing.
Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly of Team Lakay will battle it out with Singaporean fighter Christian “The Warrior” Lee at the Featherweight division. The Kelly-Lee bout will serve as the co-main event. Meanwhile, Robin “Ilonggo” Catalan of Iloilo City will tangle with a bigger fighter Stefer Rahardian of Indonesia at the Strawweight class.
Here is the complete list of the bouts:
