AJ Paciones dominates Chinese foe to retain WBA title in Thailand

AJ Paciones (3rd from left) celebrating after beating China’s Xiang Li in Thailand. | Photo from Shadow Entertainment

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Unbeaten Cebuano prospect Arvin Jhon “AJ” Paciones retained his World Boxing Association (WBA) Asia light flyweight title with a dominant performance against China’s Xiang Li on Thursday night, December 26, in Bangkok, Thailand.

Paciones, hailing from Barangay Santa Cruz, Cebu City, secured his third 12-round victory in his promising boxing career via unanimous decision.

The 19-year-old rising star impressed the judges, who scored the fight overwhelmingly in his favor: 119-109, 119-109, and 120-108. With the victory, Paciones remains undefeated, improving his record to 10-0 with five knockouts. He also tightened his grip of the No. 2 position in the WBA light flyweight division world rankings.

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On the other hand, Li’s record dropped to 9-3-2, with four wins by knockout.

Paciones set the tone early, unleashing a barrage of power punches that immediately put Li on the defensive. The Chinese fighter managed to rally in the second round, briefly pinning Paciones against the ropes with a series of combinations.

However, the Cebuano pugilist quickly regained control, countering with precision and power that left Li struggling to keep up.

Throughout the bout, Paciones effectively utilized his height and reach advantage, consistently landing sharp jabs and well-timed combinations.

A particularly devastating overhand punch in the middle rounds staggered Li, but the Chinese fighter showed resilience, delivering a counterpunch that momentarily tested Paciones’ composure.

This exchange only seemed to reignite Paciones’ resolve as he intensified his offensive assault, eventually causing Li’s nose to bleed profusely.

By the final round, it was evident that AJ Paciones was cruising to victory. He maintained a measured approach, relying on his jab while staying cautious against Li’s desperate attempts to land a knockout blow.

“The hard work finally paid off. My team and I achieved this victory,” Paciones said in the post-fight interview.

“First of all, I want to thank God for giving me the strength for this fight and this victory. I also want to thank SSC, our boss, and my dad. Without my dad, I wouldn’t be here.”