By Kevin Estrada
Joshua Pacio remains the ONE Strawweight Champion after coming out on top of a close split decision over Brazil’s Alex Silva to close out Fire and Fury Friday evening at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The clash of champions to cap off the evening lived up to the billing, as the Little Rock did not flinch against the Passion in a nip-and-tuck bout that went to the cards after going the full five rounds.
Both fighters displayed their arsenal in a toss-up, with the decision could have gone either way. However, the hometown kid prevailed as he extended his streak to three.
“I need to work more on my ground game and my follow up to my striking,” Pacio even admitted after his close shave. “I didn’t get the finish that we are expecting.”
However, Pacio have not just defended his title for the second straight bout, but also cemented himself as a strawweight overlord, with the Brazilian being his latest victim alongside the Japanese pair of Yoshitaka Naito and Yosuke Saruta, with all of those each had a hold on his belt before.
For Mark Sangiao, the answer is clear when asked that Pacio was one of the most improved fighters so far.
“The result speaks yes,” said the fabled trainer of Team Lakay.
The fight could have gone on his way either, but the former titleholder Silva only has complements to the current king.
“The champion is a good kid,” he said. “He’s a tough kid and he deserves to be on top of the division.”
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