Saruta vows to finish Pacio: I will break his will
FILE — Joshua Pacio vs Yosuke Saruta. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA. Philippines—There is bad blood between Yosuke Saruta and Joshua Pacio heading into the third fight of their trilogy series for the ONE World strawweight championship on September 24 at Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Saruta, who won the first fight via split decision, is out for revenge after he lost to Pacio in the second round via fourth round knockout.
“I will break Pacio’s fighting spirit, break his will, and finish him between rounds four and five. That’s my prediction. Whether I knock him out or submit him, I am coming for the finish,” said Saruta.
The two first met in 2019 when Saruta took the title away from Pacio via split decision but a rematch was booked three months later.
Joshua Pacio’s INSANE finishes in ONE! 💯🔥 Will he win the World Title trilogy fight against Yosuke Saruta? #ONERevolution #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/So56SZwyXy
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) September 16, 2021
It was there that Pacio had the best finish of his career when his knee landed flush on the side of Saruta’s head instantly knocking the Japanese out.
Saruta admitted that with the length of time since their last bout, improvements have surely happened for both of them.
“I’ve fought against Pacio twice already, but it was a long time ago. It’s been two-and-a-half years since we met in the Circle. To be honest, I cannot imagine how much Pacio has improved. I know he’s a better fighter now, but we don’t know how much he has changed since we haven’t seen him fight in a while,” said Saruta.
“If anything, I just want to focus on myself in this match. I’d like to say that I’ve been training very hard and trying to become a better fighter overall. I really want to showcase my skill set, techniques, and fighting style, things that I haven’t shown before.”
