Jason Pagara vows to be better in fight vs Hiroki Okada

FOLLOWING a subpar performance in his previous fight, Jason “El Niño” Pagara said he will bounce back strong in his next fight in the hopes of finally getting a crack at a world-title bout.

The 29-year-old Pagara had a sloppy performance last September 16 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino as the former top junior welterweight contender in the world settled for a split-draw decision against Kenyan James Onyango.

Pagara will be fighting anew this Dec. 19 in Tokyo, Japan, where he faces the unbeaten Hiroki Okada for the vacant WBO Asia Pacific super lightweight title.

“I will focus all my attention to this upcoming fight with the hopes of becoming a champion again,” the Maasin City-native Pagara said. “I also hope that if I win this fight, ALA Promotions will finally give me a shot at a world title.”

That quest for a world-title match took a blow after his fight against Onyango but he immediately went to work after that fight to prove he was bent on bouncing back.

“Right after that fight against James Onyango, I went back to training right away even though my cuts were still fresh because I wanted to bounce back. I was not determined on that fight and I regret it,” said Pagara. “I want to thank ALA Promotions International for giving me another chance even though I did not perform well in my previous fight. I will train harder than ever for this upcoming fight in Japan,” he added.

Pagara sports a record of 40 wins (25 knockouts), two losses and one draw while his opponent Okada has won all of his 16 matches with 11 by knockouts.