Banario is determined to snap his recent two-bout skid at ONE: CENTURY, after being knocked out by Lowen Tynanes in January and failing to outscore Dae Sung Park in August.
As a former world champion and a member of Team Lakay, Banario was disappointed with his performances as of late. The Baguio City native wants to change that in Tokyo and is putting all his time and energy in preparation for a clash of two former world champions.
Team Lakay was able to capture a historic four world titles last year but lost them all in the first quarter of 2019. Joshua Pacio was able to reclaim his ONE Strawweight World Title in April, but the team as a whole had struggled. Team Lakay athletes already competed in 14 matches this year, winning only four of them. The Baguio City-based team hopes to redeem themselves in every match moving through to the second half of the year.
“The Rock” holds Aoki in the highest regard and views the Japanese athlete as the legend that he is. Aoki holds 27 submission victories out of 43 wins, an outstanding feat that only serves to prove just how dangerous Aoki is on the ground. Banario, who has been working on both his ground game and striking, believes he will come out on top, but that he will have to fight tooth and nail to make it happen.
Banario also has the added pressure of knowing that Aoki will be competing in front of his hometown crowd in Tokyo. But with his family and friends supporting him at every juncture, Banario remains motivated and confident of victory heading into the match.
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