Lakay’s Pacio faces Japanese, kicks off One’s 2019 season

Joshua Pacio’s defense of his ONE Championship strawweight belt against a former tormentor will kick off Team Lakay’s 2019 campaign.

Pacio, crowned the new division kingpin last September, will take on Japan’s Hayato Suzuki at Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Jan. 19 for ONE’s first card of the year, the promotion bared on Saturday.

“I’m excited. I’m thrilled,” Pacio told the Inquirer in Filipino. “I’m afforded with two great opportunities—to kick off our season and to get back at [Suzuki].“

Pacio, the youngest champion out of Benguet’s famed Team Lakay, looks to redeem a loss inflicted by Suzuki in August 2017 in Macau.

Then looking to regain his contender status, Pacio carved out a split-decision win over Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke. He then hit a snag after falling into Suzuki’s rear-naked choke in the first round.

Pacio, 22, has not lost a match since then. He strung up four victories, including a masterful performance to dethrone Yoshitaka Naito in a rematch.

“This is a great opportunity for him,“ Lakay ringmaster Mark Sangiao said. “The fight will refine him. But more than that, it can help him prove his worth as the holder of the crown.”

“We’ll just have to focus on the strong facets of Suzuki’s game. After all, he is one of the only two dents on Joshua’s record,” Sangiao added.

Pacio, with a 16-2 pro record, looks to add to Suzuki’s woes after the latter fell to former strawweight king Alex Silva.