JAKARTA -- ONE Strawweight Champion Yoshitaka Naito acknowledges the wealth of knowledge his challenger Joshua Pacio has gained since they last met two long years ago.
But it's not only the Filipino bet who has evolved. The Japanese champion too.
"After that bout in 2016, totally Joshua had got a lot of experience. He’s totally a better fighter now, so it’s gonna be a tough fight for him," he said through a translator. "But at the same time, me too had a lot of experience and I'm just gonna show everything I got and win again."
Naito (13-1) is set to defend his crown in a rematch against Pacio (12-2) on Saturday, with the two eyeing to show a better version of themselves in the main event of ONE: Conquest of Heroes at Jakarta Convention Center.
Naito won the first meeting between the two, submitting Pacio to a rear-naked choke in the third round of their title fight in Yangon, Maynmar back in October 2016.
For "Nobita," a huge chunk of his learning is rooted from tasting his first defeat when he lost the title to Brazilian contender Alex Silva back in December in Bangkok.
"I experienced the first defeat of my life," said the 34-year-old fighter out of Paraestra Mastudo.
"I slipped to a little bit of depression, but my teammates encouraged me and I went to see other good athletes to gain back my motivation. After a loss, an athlete comes back really strong and mentally, I can say that I'm way tougher than before."
It wasn't long before Naito was back on top of his game, reclaiming the title in a rematch against Silva last May in a split decision at ONE: Grit and Glory here in Jakarta.
He'd like to stretch that streak at the expense of the young Team Lakay bet anew in this Indonesian capital.
"I always try to finish the match quickly, but I never get my wish. So it’s probably going to be a tough fight, a long fight, but in the end, I'll win again via submission, for sure," he said.
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