The dust has barely settled on ONE Championship’s final event of 2018 but according to the very reliable Conan Altatis another title fight has already been booked. The promotion heads to Jakarta on January 19th and the Filipino journalist says the event will feature a strawweight title fight:
https://twitter.com/conan_altatis/status/1071282846587867136
ONE: ‘Eternal Glory’ is set for Istora Senayan. It will be the second time that Hayato Suzuki (20-1-2) and Joshua Pacio (16-2) have faced each but the stakes will be much higher this time around because the Filipino’s strawweight title will be on the line in Indonesia.
Pacio won the title with a decision win over Yoshitaka Naito in Jakarta earlier this year. If Suzuki wins it will be the fourth time in four fights that the strawweight belt has changed hands, with this weight class emerging as one of the promotion’s most competitive.
Pacio and Suzuki first met at ONE: ‘Kings & Conquerors’ last year. The Japanese fighter made short work of the Filipino, finishing him in the first round with a rear naked choke but since that fight the two have enjoyed contrasting fortunes.
Suzuki would get submitted by Alex Silva in his very next outing, the first time in his career that the 32 year old had ever experienced defeat. Pacio scored three stoppage wins in quick succession to set up a title shot against Naito, who he beat after five closely contested rounds.
For Suzuki a win could set up the prospect of a title defence in Tokyo on March 31st, one of two ONE Championship events scheduled for Japan in 2019. Potential contenders for the strawweight title include Yosuke Saruta who beat Alex Silva by decision in Kuala Lumpur last night.
