Joshua Pacio regains world title with vicious head kick KO against Yosuke Saruta

Joshua Pacio of Baguio City's Team Lakay is once again the ONE Strawweight World Champion following a fourth-round knockout victory over Yosuke Saruta of Japan in the co-main event of ONE: Roots of Honor, Friday night at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

It was a clinical start from Pacio as he launched leg kicks that found its mark. Saruta circled around the cage, then timed Pacio with a right straight that dropped the Filipino.

They fought standing up in round two, as Pacio continued to throw kicks to the head and body while Saruta looked to score with his punches.

It was a striking chess match in round three, but it was Pacio who landed the cleaner blows at his visiting foe.

Pacio seemed to have everything figured in round four, as Saruta had no answer to Pacio's well-placed strikes. A perfectly timed head kick caught Saruta, dropping him unconscious to the mat at the 2:43 mark of the fourth round.

The title winning performance improved Pacio's record to 14-3 while Saruta fell to 19-9-3. — BAP, GMA News