Joshua Pacio Puts The ONE Strawweight MMA World Title On The Line Against Keito Yamakita At ONE SAMURAI 5

Nine days out, one belt and two fighters who both want it. Joshua Pacio, "The Passion", will defend the ONE Strawweight MMA World Title against Keito Yamakita at ONE SAMURAI 5 on Wednesday November 18, with the first bell at 5:30PM JST. The fight is live on U-NEXT in Japan.

ONE Championship has fired up the build-up by sending out a replay from all angles, and it is the kind of clip you watch three times before you trust what you saw. Every angle gives a different read on the exchange, and every one ends with a fighter who has clearly been working on his craft.

That is the appeal of a title defence. The champion has the belt and the target on his back. The challenger has everything to gain and walks in with nothing to protect. Yamakita gets the shot at one of the best strawweights in the sport, and Pacio gets to show why he is still the man holding the gold.

Tickets are available through the link in ONE Championship's bio, and the fight is live on U-NEXT for anyone watching from home.

What to watch for: how Pacio's movement and timing handle a challenger who will come forward with nothing to lose.