Two Filipinos opened ONE Championship’s groundbreaking show at the Cotai Arena in Macau, China, to opposing results Saturday evening.
Team Lakay’s young gun continues to dominate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn5IchJAjSo
20-year-old Team Lakay upstart Joshua Pacio had the privilege of opening ONE: Heroes of the World. The young gun more than provided the fireworks, forcing Thai wrestler Kritsada “Dream Man” Konsrichai into submission in the very first round.
Konsrichai started off aggressively, immediately cornering Pacio. The Filipino flyweight tried to reverse the clinch, but was quickly taken down by a suplex from the Thai.
Pacio remained active even on his back and was back up with three minutes and 30 seconds to spare. The shorter fighter continuously kept close to his opponent, but was again taken down by Konsrichai. Staying calm, Pacio found his way back up while securing a single leg on the Thai flyweight and scoring his first takedown.
The Team Lakay fighter gained momentum and, later on, grabbed his opponent’s back. Punches by Pacio flattened out Konsrichai, leaving his neck prone to a choke. 13 seconds later, the Baguio native put the “Dream Man” to sleep.
With the win, Pacio stays unbeaten at 8-0 while Konsrichai drops to 4-3.
RESULT: Joshua Pacio def. Kristsada Konsrichai by submission (rear naked choke) in round 1, 4:37
Costly slip silences Yabo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZbejx6Ny7E
Cebuano featherweight Jimmy Yabo let an opportunity slip away, literally, as he succumbed to ONE Beijing featherweight tournament winner Jia Wen Ma, Saturday evening.
Yabo and his Chinese opponent sized each other up in the opening round, testing each other’s power in a stand-up affair. Despite being the shorter fighter, the Cebuano, who had come off a loss to Benedict Ang, tried to keep his distance.
In the second round, the Filipino accidentally poked the 19-year-old in the eye, causing a momentary stoppage to the bout. As the fight resumed, the former pro boxer looked for one big shot but to no avail. Ma turned up the aggression later in the round, making Yabo play defense until the round ended.
A huge right by Ma rocked Yabo in the early goings of the final round, but Yabo endured and regained his composure. However, as Yabo attempted a body kick, he slipped on the mat, allowing the Chinese fighter to drop down. Ma then gained mount and let loose, raining on punches and elbows until the referee had seen enough.
The loss is Yabo’s second in a row, and the third in his last four fights.
RESULT: Jimmy Yabo def. Jia Wen Ma by TKO (ground and pound) in round 3, 2:30
