CV Stardom

Based in La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines, Team Lakay will have two representatives in an upcoming ONE Championship event in Jakarta, Indonesia. Both hailing from Baguio City, Philippines, Danny “The King” Kingad, 22, and Joshua “The Passion” Pacio, 22, will represent the mixed martial arts team at “ONE: Conquest of Heroes” at the Jakarta Convention Center on September 22, 2018.

Both Kingad and Pacio will face Japanese opponents at “ONE: Conquest of Heroes,” which will feature 12 bouts. In the ninth bout of the evening, Kingad will compete in the flyweight division against Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu, 23, of Kagoshima, Japan.

In the main event of the evening, Pacio will challenge reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito, 34, of Matsudo, Chiba, Japan. It will be a rematch between the two ONE Championship stars.

“There is added pressure for me to win this bout, of course, since I am setting the tone for Joshua (Pacio) who is fighting in the main event for the title,” Kingad said. “This is a special fight for me too because I have to win for my friend and give him good vibes before he climbs atop the ring. Wakamatsu is a dangerous opponent but I will do everything in my power to win. I’m ripped and ready for Saturday night.”

Kingad is a former ONE Flyweight World Championship title challenger. He is a Philippine wushu champion who holds a professional mixed martial arts record of 7 wins and 1 loss.

On the other hand, Wakamatsu has 10 wins and 2 losses. A former Pancrase fighter, he is a ONE Championship debutante.

After seeing a few of Wakamatsu’s fight highlights, Kingad concluded that the Japanese fighter is “a very dangerous opponent.” The Team Lakay fighter said the Kagoshima native “likes to strike and I think he will try to strike with me”.

“But I am ready to take this fight wherever it will go,” Kingad declared. “Whether that’s on the ground or it stays on the feet, I have no problem. I’m a well-rounded martial artist and so is he.”

“Fans will be happy with our fight,” the Team Lakay fighter added. “I think Wakamatsu’s strength is the striking however, so let’s see. I am ready for a stand up war. I believe it will also be a good test for me.”