Hayato Suzuki Plans To Beat Pongsiri Mitsatit, Then Joshua Pacio
Hayato Suzuki (19-1-2) believes an impressive victory this Saturday, 17 November, could lead to a golden opportunity.
The Japanese grappler will square off against Pongsiri “The Smiling Assassin” Mitsatit (9-1) at ONE: WARRIOR’S DREAM, which takes place at the Stadium Istora in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The 32-year-old knows he must win if he wants to secure a shot at the ONE Strawweight World Title, and his dreams will be dashed if he falls to the Muay Thai stylist.
A fear of failure is motivating Suzuki to do everything in his power to make sure that does not happen.
“I am facing fear more than excitement,” he says.
“Every time, I am fighting against fear, but to become champion, I just have to move forward. If I win against fear, then I beat my opponent, and that’s when it feels exciting.”
Since joining ONE Championship in 2017, the man from Tokyo, Japan has looked phenomenal.
Suzuki has won three of his four bouts, including a stunning first-round submission of the division’s reigning titleholder Joshua “The Passion” Pacio.
Most recently, he defeated Robin “The Ilonggo” Catalan at ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES in October. The Japanese competitor ripped through his Filipino adversary and ultimately forced him to tap via rear-naked choke in the second round.
“Basically, as usual, I went for the takedown, secured a position and ground control, and finished with my favorite back choke,” he explains.
“I was able to execute what everyone was expecting from me – a good takedown with a good submission, which is my favorite game.
“If I lost, I knew my chance of getting a title shot would slip away, so I had to win.”
Just six weeks later, Suzuki could accelerate along his road to the gold should he dispatch “The Smiling Assassin.” That will not be an easy task, though.
Mitsatit is a Northern Thailand Muay Thai Champion who has been near-flawless ever since transitioning to mixed martial arts in June 2014. He has nine victories, with eight of those wins coming via stoppage.
The 22-year-old is considered to be one of the most talented strawweight athletes in the world, and he has been training at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket to diversify his skill set.
Suzuki views the Thai hero as a gatekeeper to the stars.
“Pongsiri is a good striker. He also has a great record so If I win, no doubt I should be the next one in line to challenge for the belt,” he says.
“[I expect to win] by first-round rear-naked choke submission, but maybe the fight will end with my big punch. We’ll see.”
Should he finish Mitsatit, then Suzuki will turn his attention to Pacio – the man he submitted in his promotional debut in August 2017.
Now that the Filipino holds the ONE Strawweight World Title, Suzuki issues a challenge to “The Passion” – to face him at the promotion’s inaugural event in Tokyo, which is set for March next year.
“I definitely would like to have a title match in my hometown. All my fans can cheer for me, and I would like to repay them by winning big in Japan,” he says.
“Hey Joshua, you lost against me, so if you don’t get a rematch, you won’t feel good, right? If you don’t win against me, I don’t think you can call yourself a true champion, right?
“Let’s fight in March in Japan. We both improved in one year, so let’s collide.”
