Joshua Pacio Submits Rene Catalan in the Main Event of One: Masters of Fate

THE KING DEFENDS HIS CROWN
Team Lakay phenom Joshua Pacio stops the streaking Rene Catalan with a Round 2 arm-triangle choke to retain his ONE Strawweight World Title!#WeAreONE #ONEChampionship #MastersOfFate pic.twitter.com/wYPFL4dKG5

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) November 8, 2019

We can now add Joshua Pacio to the list of One Championship title holders that have successfully defended their thrones.

One made its return once again at the Mall of Asia Area in Manila, Philippines, for One: Masters of Fate on Nov. 8. In the main event, Pacio managed to defend his One belt against challenger Rene Catalan. "The Passion" dictated the pace of the bout, edging his opponent both on the feet and on the ground. Catalan could not find an answer for the Team Lakay representative's takedowns, who eventually secured a slick arm-triangle choke. Referee Olivier Coste was forced to stop the action at 2:29 in the second stanza. The 23-year-old Filipino fighter is now riding a 2-bout winning streak.

A headbutt anticlimactically ended the co-main event clash between former One champion Eduard Folayang and Tsogookhuu Amarsanaa. The bout was stopped after Amarsanaa hit his opponent with an accidental headbutt, which prevented the Team Lakay representative from continuing. Since the illegal blow landed after the bout passed the halfway point of the second round, the fight went to the judges' scorecards. Folayang (22-8) was then awarded a technical decision victory from all three judges.

Earlier, former One flyweight champion Geje Eustaquio (13-8) put an end to his contest with Toni Tauru thanks to a vicious spinning back kick to the liver at 2:11 in Round 3; "Stamp Fairtex" Nong Stamp (3-0) edged Bi Nguyen via unanimous decision to lower the record of "KillHer Bee" to .500. In the opening match of the main card, Chinese fighter Li Kai Wen (10-4) knocked Paulus Lumihi out cold with a vicious uppercut at 2:39 of the opening frame.