DEDEPENSAHAN ni Joshua ‘The Passion’ Pacio ang ONE Strawweight World Title kontra kay Rene ‘The Challenger’ Catalan sa all-Pinoy title match ng ONE: Masters of Fate sa Nobyembre 8 sa MOA Arena.
Target ni Pacio, mula nang makamit ang titulo kay Yosuke Saruta ng Japan nitong Abril, na makapagpasaya ng kababayan, kahit may konting agam-agam dahil kapwa Pinoy ang kanyang challenger.
“My preparations for my next bout are great,” pahayag ni Pacio.
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“We’ve been working on some of my weaknesses and strengthening the weapons in my arsenal. As usual, we’ve been focusing on everything because this is mixed martial arts.”
Hindi pipitsugin si Catalan na nagtala ng six-match winning streak na naging daan para mapili siyang top challenger sa korona ni Pacio.
“Anything can happen, especially that my opponent is a veteran in combat sports,” sambit ni Pacio.
“I have been preparing for this bout for a long time, and we have seen improvements. There are still a lot of things I need to learn and perfect, but I will make sure that I will be well-rounded in Manila.”
Matapos ang serye ng kabiguan sa mgamiyembro ng Team Lakay ngayong taon, kumpiyansa si Pacio na maibabalik niya ang sigla at morale ng koponan sa panalo kay Catalan.
“I could not put into words the feeling of being victorious on 8 November,” aniya.
“To successfully defend my title in front of my countrymen, in my hometown means a lot to the team and me. I know how hard my brothers worked for their previous bouts, so it’s heartbreaking to see them lose. I want to return the favor and win to motivate them more so we can go back to the top together.”
