Yosuke “Tobizaru” Saruta may have just made his ONE Championship debut last month, but Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio is already on his radar.
Saruta looks to make it two in a row not only in The Home Of Martial Arts but also against world champions when he battles the Filipino prodigy at ONE: ETERNAL GLORY on Jan. 19 at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia,.
The 31-year-old Saitama, Japan native is coming off a huge victory over former World Champion Alex “Little Rock” Silva just last December in his promotional debut.
He has no plans of stopping there, as he looks to leave Indonesia as the new Strawweight World Champion.
“This is the biggest chance of my life,” said Saruta who exhumed confidence when asked about how the match will go.
“I will dominate him in every situation and become the ONE Strawweight World Champion by KO. I want people to know my name as the toughest Japanese athlete, and I will be the World Champion,”
The 11-year mixed martial arts veteran knows that Pacio has an advantage on the feet, with his wushu background giving him an edge on striking. But on everything else, Saruta is confident he has an advantage over Team Lakay’s wonderboy.
“His strongest point is his striking, especially spinning kicks and his punching power. That is why I’m trying to strengthen my striking defense,” Saruta shared.
“His weak point is grappling. My grappling skill is much higher than his, so in the fight I’m planning a combination of strikes and takedowns.”
Saruta also believes that he's ready to go five rounds with Pacio, and when he gets the chance, he vows to go for the finish.
“My strongest points are my physical ability and stamina,” he says.
“I will keep moving through the whole fight, and when my opponent is getting tired, I will finish him. I think I will overwhelm him in all aspects, and then finish him in the fourth round.”
