YANGON: Joshua Pacio of Baguio City’s Team Lakay lost in his first mixed martial arts title bid after a submission defeat against ONE strawweight champion Yoshitaka Naito in the main event of ONE Championship: State of Warriors, Friday night at Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar, media reports said.
Pacio was aggressive right from the opening bell, throwing kicks, punches and counter shots that kept his Japanese foe at bay. Naito went for the takedown several times but was stopped in his tracks by the Filipino fighter, reported GMA News.
After a brief exchange on their feet in round two, Naito finally managed to take Pacio to the mat but it was the Pinoy fighter who dealt damage with his elbows, the report said.
Naito reportedly raised the tempo the next round, took the fight to the mat that secured him a rare naked choke submission at the 1:33 mark of round three.
The heartbreaking defeat gave the young Pacio his first loss, dropping his record to 8-1 while Naito improved to 12-0.
Meanwhile, in the undercard fight, Filipino Kevin Belingon won by unanimous decision over Tajik fighter Muin Gafurov, reported GMA News.
