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JAKARTA, Indonesia - ONE strawweight title contender Joshua Pacio of Baguio City's Team Lakay feels more confident and well-rounded going into his rematch against ONE strawweight champion Yoshitaka Naito of Japan in the main event of 'ONE: Conquest of Heroes' on September 22 at Jakarta Convention Center in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Pacio, 22, had his first chance to become a world champion in 2016 when he challenged Naito for the world title.
Pacio dominated the contest, but was caught with a rear naked choke after he left a small opening in round three.
"What I bring to the table in this rematch is my confidence. I only focused on takedown defense, circling around and hit and run in the last fight. This time around we also focused on wrestling offense, we'll go for a takedown and be aggressive on the ground if the opportunity is there," told Pacio.
"Coach Mark specifically told me to never give my back, because when that happens then it will be very hard to escape. His weakness is his striking, though I can see that he's improving as well so I cannot be overconfident. My target is to execute our game plan properly."
Should Pacio emerge victorious on fight night, he will be the third reigning champion from Team Lakay alongside ONE undisputed flyweight champion Geje Eustaquio and ONE interim bantamweight title holder Kevin Belingon.
Eager to become a champion and follow his seniors' footsteps, Pacio made sure to pay attention to his teammates' parting words before he departed for Jakarta.
"Our champions Geje Eustaquio and Kevin Belingon told me to just be confident. What they know is that Team Lakay focuses on ground defense, but this time I'll be the one to shoot for a takedown if the opening is there," said Pacio.
"I am more than ready to capture that belt. Having fought Naito for the first time boosted my experience and I also fought the likes of former champ Dejdamrong and Suzuki. Those high level fights were a huge addition to my experience." — BAP, GMA News
