Joshua Pacio’s first-round knockout of Yosuke Saruta of Japan in their trilogy bout is second of the top five KOs recorded in ONE Championship cards held from July to September.
Pacio’s KO of Saruta in one of the main cards of ONE: Revolution at the Singapore Indoor Stadium also led to three successful title defenses for the Team Lakay prized fighter.
While fans were expecting that the trilogy bout between Pacio and Saruta could reach a decision in their five five-minute championship bout, the Igorot fighter just needed less than three minutes to settle the score.
Just as Saruta unleashed a low kick, Pacio immediately countered with a looping right hand that dropped his Japanese opponent to the canvas.
“The Passion” started the finishing sequence when he countered Saruta’s low kick with a looping right hand that dropped his foe to the canvas.
Giving his opponent no respite, Pacio chased Saruta down as he tried to recover and escape. The Filipino then unleashed hard hooks on his foe as Saruta fell into the circle wall.
A few more left hands to his downed rival forced the referee to stop the bout, giving Pacio a second consecutive stoppage against the former ONE strawweight world champion.
The top KO award during the period went to Elo Roni Saputra, who just needed 10 seconds to stop Lie Peng Shuai in their flyweight MMA bout in ONE: Battleground II in August.
Saputra uncorked a hellish right hand that crashed straight into his rival’s chin – separating him from his senses and earning him the fastest flyweight finish in ONE history.
The three other top KO artists during the period are former heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Aung La N Sang who stopped Leandro Ataides in July; Kim Jae Woong who stopped two-division world champion Martin Nguyen on Sept. 24; and Tie Wei who likewise stunned Dae Haan Kim with a heavy body shot in their flyweight MMA battle in August. – Harley F. Palangchao
