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    Joshua Pacio dethrones Naito to grab ONE Strawweight title

    Pacio becomes third Team Lakay fighter to win ONE title in 2018
    Sep 23, 2018
    Joshua Pacio proves he has moved on from his first heartbreak vs Yoshitaka Naito.
    PHOTO: one championship

    JAKARTA -- Two years removed from his first heartbreak, Joshua Pacio proved that he indeed learned the lessons of that setback, capturing the ONE Strawweight Championship from Yoshitaka Naito in a unanimous decision in the main event of ONE: Conquest of Heroes Saturday at Jakarta Convention Center.

    The 22-year-old Filipino became the third Team Lakay fighter to win a title this year, following interim bantamweight titlist Kevin Belingon and flyweight king Geje Eustaquio.

    Pacio, who improved to 16-2, showed that second time's the charm for him, atoning for his first failed crack at the crown on October 2016 in Yangon, Myanmar.

    Naito, meanwhile, lost the title for the second time to fall to 13-2.

    Pacio was calculated on his approach this time out, picking his spots in the first round before a left punch to the body momentarily took the air out of the champion before taking the fight to the ground.

    It was more of the same in the second with Pacio connecting with a body kick midway through the round. However, Naito was able to mount some offense after wiggling out of Pacio in the round's last 30 seconds.

    Naito fed off from that late flurry as he came out as the aggressor in round three, taking Pacio down as both warriors wrestled for position and refused to give any inch of advantage to each other.

    The match returned to a striking duel in round four, before Naito focused on his challenger's leg and taking him down twice, but Pacio was able to survive and take the fight to the distance.

    Deja vu almost struck for Pacio in the final round, with Naito looking to replicate his success two years back and tried to lock in a rear-naked choke at the end of the fight, but the Igorot fighter was ready to counter the submission hold, showing impeccable defense as the fight went to the judges' scorecards.

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    It was an emotional victory for Pacio, who was vocal in dedicating the fight to his typhoon-raveged compatriots in Benguet.

    "This fight is for all of them. I know Cordillera will come back and rise again," said Pacio.

    Chinese strawweight Peng Xue Wen (3-4) silenced the home crowd as the outpointed Stefer Rahardian (8-2) via unanimous decision, sending Indonesian favorite to his second straight defeat.

    Thai kickboxing great Rodtang Jitmuangnon (253-40) made mincemeat of Sergio Wielzen (46-20) of Suriname in their ONE Super Series muay thai faceoff as he easily came away with the unanimous decision victory, thoroughly dismantling his opponent in three rounds of action.

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    Joshua Pacio proves he has moved on from his first heartbreak vs Yoshitaka Naito.
    PHOTO: one championship
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