ONE Championship strawweight king Joshua Pacio of Team Lakay believes that his teammate Lito Adiwang is deserving of a rematch against Japanese fighter Hiroba Minowa.
The reigning strawweight champion is just one of the many witnesses among the audience who expressed that Minowa didn't earn a "clear victory" against Adiwang.
It would be recalled that Adiwang lost to Minowa in a controversial split decision last November in ONE: Inside the Matrix III.
The Filipino rising star attempted several submissions in the first and second rounds on Minowa and the Japanese youngster can be seen, for most fans, tapping out on certain camera angles when Adiwang executed a kimura lock.
The loss prompted Adiwang to ask ONE Championship for a rematch but the promotion handed him Hexigetu of China first before finalizing a replacement in another Japanese Namiki Kahawahara.
For Pacio, the only way to settle an unfinished business is no less than a clash in the Circle.
"A win is a win, I guess. Minowa won, yes, but it wasn’t a clear victory. It’s still different if you can clearly win a match," said Pacio. "The majority of fans I’ve talked to thought Lito won. I did too.
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"That fight was too close to end just like that. I think after Lito beats Namiki, a rematch with Minowa is a must. Everyone in the Philippines is asking for it. We all know what Lito is capable of. You may think you’ve seen the best of Lito Adiwang, but I tell you the best is yet to come.”
Adiwang and Kahawara are set to square off in ONE: Unbreakable on Friday at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, the first installment of the three-part Unbreakable series and the first live-event of ONE Championship in 2021.