Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Joshua Pacio returned to form and scored an impressive knockout victory over Philippine compatriot Roy Doliguez in ONE Championship’s Legends of the World card Friday at Mall of Asia Arena.
Pacio (10-2) connected with a spinning back fist that landed square on Doliguez’ (7-5) jaw knocking out the former boxer 38 seconds into the second round.
The 21-year-old Team Lakay member bounced back from his loss to Hayato Suzuki back in August and Pacio knows his victory was a statement win in ONE’s strawweight division.
“It’s up to ONE on who I’ll fight next but this win proves I’m still at the top of the division,” said Pacio, who once competed for the title but lost to Yoshitaka Naito in 2016.
In the women’s atomweight division, Pacio’s Team Lakay co-member Gina Iniong brought down Indonesia’s Priscilla Gaol.
Iniong (6-2) held Gaol (0-2) in the crucifix position and proceeded to rain down right hands prompting the referee to stop to the contest with 2:12 in the second round.
This was Iniong’s third straight MMA win and her second straight in ONE.
Chinese fighter Peng Xue Wen opened the night with a solid knockout victory over Cambodian Phat Soda in the strawweight division.
Xue Wen (1-1) slammed Soda (0-2) with a German suplex and immediately transitioned to a rear naked choke but the referee called the knockout victory 2:17 into the first round.
Xie Chao followed earned a technical knockout victory over Malaysian Kelvin Ong in the featherweight division.
Ong (1-2) suffered a deep cut on his forehead that prompted the doctors to stop the fight awarding Xie (4-1) the victory 1:48 into the first round.