JAKARTA - ONE Championship strawweight world champion Joshua Pacio looks forward to his title defense rivals, one of which will be the fighter at ONE: Eersel vs Sadikovic at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, Singapore, Friday (22/4).
The potential opponent of the Filipino fighter based on data released by ONE Championship on Saturday is the winner between Jarred Brooks and Bokang Masunyane.
"I can't wait. We know how explosive these two athletes are. They come from a wrestling background, so it will be very interesting to see how the match goes and who my next opponent is," Pacio said as quoted by Antara.
The Team Lakay frontman also predicts the course of the match. According to him, Jarred Brooks will come out victorious.
"For me, Brooks' performance is more impressive. He has fought two of the top five competitors and defeated him, but I also don't forget Bokang's performance that beat Rene [Catalan] who was in the top five at that time. He was able to put Rene to sleep quickly," said the former wushu athlete.
Faced with two athletes who are equally good, Pacio considers that flying hours will be decisive. Something owned by the United States wrestler nicknamed "The Monkey God".
"This is difficult, but I prefer Brooks' flying hours. Because this fight only consists of three rounds, I chose Brooks who won through the jury's decision," Pacio explained.
Speaking of flying hours, Brooks already has a professional record of 18-2, including when he competed in the UFC and Rizin. Meanwhile, although his flying hours are not as high as his opponent, Masunyane is still unbeaten with a score of 8-0.
Regardless of who will be the next opponent, the 26-year-old fighter admitted that he was not afraid. Joshua Pacio reiterates that he did not become the division ruler by chance or luck.
"If I faced Brooks now, it would be my biggest fight. However, I did not become the king of the division by chance. If they want to take my belt, it will not be easy," concluded Pacio of the ONE Championship title he holds.
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