Champ-champ status was not meant to be.
Joshua Pacio’s dream of becoming the Philippines’ first-ever two-division ONE world champion ended in heartbreak, as the 29-year-old strawweight king absorbed a technical knockout loss to hometown hero Yuya Wakamatsu in the co-main event of ONE 173 on Sunday at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena.
Pacio made his presence felt early, decking Wakamatsu with a massive right hook in the opening round. He tried to follow up with a takedown, but the defending flyweight champ stuffed the attempt.
The tide turned in the second when Wakamatsu clipped Pacio with a massive right hand that sent the Filipino crashing to the canvas. Pacio shot for a desperate takedown, only to be met by a barrage of brutal knees. With several unanswered strikes landing clean, the referee stepped in at the 54-second mark.
The loss marks Pacio’s first setback since 2022, when he surrendered his strawweight belt to American rival Jarred Brooks in Manila. Now 23-5, Pacio is expected to return to the 115-pound division to resume his reign.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
AloJapan.com