THE next man to take on ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua Pacio will likely emerge when #1 contender Bokang Masunyane faces #2-ranked Jarred Brooks at ONE: Eersel vs. Sadikovic on Friday, 22 April.
Joshua Pacio challenger
Nothing official has been announced yet, but the winner of this World Title eliminator would be the clear favorite to get a crack at the Filipino superstar’s belt.
Masunyane earned his status with a flawless 6-0 MMA record outside of ONE Championship and then two stellar performances after joining the organization.
In his debut, the South African dominated Ryuto Sawada with his wrestling prowess and relentless pace to claim a unanimous decision victory.
He then showcased his dangerous striking against former ONE World Title challenger Rene Catalan, scoring a sensational head kick knockout just 37 seconds into their match.
Brooks, meanwhile, has lived up the hype since signing with the Singapore-based promotion.
The brash American star exploded into the strawweight rankings with a second-round submission of former #5 contender Lito Adiwang in November.
He followed that up with an overwhelming decision victory over #4-ranked Hiroba Minowa – and a colorful post-fight callout of Masunyane and Pacio.
Now with an 18-2 career record and plenty of momentum on his side, Brooks will aim to hand "Little Giant” his first career defeat and then challenge the reigning World Champion.
Meanwhile, the main event of ONE Championship’s 22 April show will see longtime ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Champion Regian Eersel defend his crown against German powerhouse Arian Sadikovic.
Also among the featured bouts is Filipino-American striker Jackie Buntan, who takes on Smilla Sundell for the inaugural ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Title.
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