Joshua Pacio: ‘I’m at my very best, but Saruta is a very dangerous opponent’

Joshua Pacio and Yosuke Saruta face off. Photo: ONE

ONE strawweight world champion Joshua Pacio predicts a difficult encounter when he defends his title against Yosuke Saruta of Japan in the main event of ONE: Eternal Glory on January 19 at Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Pacio, 23, says he's coming off one of his best training camps ever, and he will do whatever it takes to bring the gold-plated strap back home to the Philippines.

"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," said the young phenom from Team Lakay.

"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. Coach Mark has come up with a great game plan for me and I will do my best to execute it."

Pacio was originally tasked to defend his title against Hayato Suzuki, but the latter had to pull out of the fight due to an injury. Against Saruta, the Filipino champion believes he's up against his toughest opponent yet to date.

"Yosuke [Saruta] is a very dangerous opponent and I am not taking him lightly," said Pacio. "I have prepared for the toughest challenge of my career, and I plan to showcase the best version of Joshua Pacio in the fight." — BM, GMA News