Yosuke Saruta Steps In To Challenge Joshua Pacio For World Title

Yosuke “Tobizaru” Saruta has answered the call to face Joshua “The Passion” Pacio at ONE: ETERNAL GLORY.

The Japanese star will challenge for the Filipino’s ONE Strawweight World Title on a month’s notice at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia on 19 January.

Saruta earned his chance to challenge for the top prize in martial arts after a stunning debut performance in ONE Championship earlier this month.

At ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS, the 31-year-old dominated Alex “Little Rock” Silva over three rounds to pick up a unanimous decision victory.

He kept a relentless pace throughout the match’s 15-minute duration and showed off his skills in all areas of martial arts to consign the former ONE Strawweight World Champion to a stunning defeat.

Though this was “Tobizaru’s” first achievement on the global stage for martial arts, he is no flash in the pan. The representative of Wajutsu Keishukai Hearts gym boasts a record of 18-8-3, and reigned as the Shooto Strawweight World Champion before he came to ONE.

Pacio will make his first defense as World Champion in Jakarta.

The Team Lakay product captured the belt with a unanimous decision win in a rematch against Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito at ONE: CONQUEST OF HEROES in September.

He was one of four of his gym’s representatives to win gold in 2018.