Joshua Pacio Draws New Opponent At ONE: GLOBAL SUPERHEROES

Joshua “The Passion” Pacio has been given a new opponent at ONE: GLOBAL SUPERHEROES.

The Filipino strawweight contender was originally scheduled to face the undefeated Pongsiri “The Smiling Assassin” Mitsatit in the co-main event. But the Thai was forced to withdraw from the contest just a week out from the bout.

Now, China’s Lan Ming Qiang will replace Mitsatit, and he will make his promotional debut against Pacio at the show. ONE: GLOBAL SUPERHEROES takes place at the Mall Of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines, on Friday, 26 January.

“I was excited about my bout with Pongsiri, because it would have been a clash of the young guns. I am not disappointed because it is safety first. If I was the one sick or injured, I would not compete either, so I hope he recovers fast and gets back on track,” the 22-year-old Baguio City, Philippines native says.

“Lan Ming Qiang is my new opponent now, and I need to adopt quickly to his style. But our game plan is still the same, and I will execute that on 26 January.”

From Guangxi, China, Lan is a national sanda champion who trains alongside flyweight world title contender “The Southern Eagle” Ma Hao Bin at the Jincan Defense Club. After a 16-2 sanda record and several championship titles, the 24-year-old recently made his transition to the cage, and already has a pair of stunning victories to his credit.

Even though he has accepted the strawweight match-up with Pacio on short notice, Lan is prepared. In fact, his strategy is simple and direct.

“For this bout,” he offers, “my strategy is to win it on my feet through striking.”

The opponent change has not affected Pacio or his training at Team Lakay. He will continue his normal preparation alongside head coach Mark Sangiao and his world-class teammates.

For “The Passion,” this is an opportunity to build some momentum. A former ONE Strawweight World Title challenger, the wushu-savvy Pacio last competed against fellow countryman Roy “The Dominator” Doliguez in November.

He defeated Doliguez in the second round via spinning back fist, which ranked fifth in ONE’s Best Knockouts of 2017.

Pacio draws another bonafide stand-up specialist in Lan, and is ready to deliver fireworks at ONE: GLOBAL SUPERHEROES.

“The toughest thing about Lan’s skill set is his striking game, but I think I have competed against some of the best strikers in my division,” the Filipino says.

“I see this match as a very exciting one, because I know we are both warriors, and I know we will put everything on the line on the 26th. I expect that Lan will be explosive and hungry, so I will stick to our game plan and get the win.”