The hunter has become the hunted
Ever since winning the ONE Strawweight World Championship last September, Joshua Pacio (16-2) has been training non-stop.
After all, the hungry pack of the 125-pound division has been stepping up to the plate as they try to secure a title shot against the Filipino.
Last December, initial challenger Hayato Suzuki pulled out of a intended bout with Pacio for the main event of ONE: Eternal Glory, but an equally-dangerous opponent has appeared in Yosuke Saruta (18-8-3). And the bout takes place on Saturday, January 19 at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia.
In preparation for his first title defense, Pacio had no days off, celebrating both Christmas and New Year’s eve inside Team Lakay’s Gym in Benguet. And now, a day before the bout, the 23-year-old feels that it was all worth it.
“I feel I am at my best right now.
“After a tremendous training camp, I’m ready to step up to the plate and defend my title. This World Title means everything to me. It represents all the hard work that me and my team have put in. Now it’s time to reap the fruits of our labor,” shared Pacio.
“Coach Mark [Sangiao] has come up with a great game plan for me, and I will do my best to execute it,” he added.
Though just a ‘replacement fighter’, Saruta is as dangerous as they come. Just ask strawweight contender Alex Silva, whom the Japanese mixed martial artist had bested last December during his debut.
With his impressive first showing, Saruta firmly believes that he deserves to be sharing top billing with Pacio – and perhaps even be a world champion.
“When I made my debut a few months ago, I wanted to make a statement. I wanted to prove to the world that I am ready for a title shot immediately.
“That is what I have done and now we are here. I am confident that at the end of the night, I will leave the arena with my hands raised in victory and with the World Title around my waist. Joshua Pacio is a great champion, but I feel I have the tools necessary to defeat him. It’s going to be an interesting match-up. I vow to give my best performance,” Saruta said in Japanese.
Knowing that Saruta is no rookie, Pacio plans to leave no stones unturned heading into the biggest match of his young career. Come Eternal Glory, he plans to show the world that his best has yet to come.
“Yosuke [Saruta] is a very dangerous opponent and I am not taking him lightly. I have prepared for the toughest challenge of my career, and I plan to showcase the best version of Joshua Pacio in the fight.”
