A lot has changed since Joshua Pacio last held the ONE Strawweight MMA World Championship. The division is now more stacked than ever, and it has a brash king sitting on the throne.
But since he lost the World Title to Jarred Brooks at ONE 164 in December 2022, “The Passion” has made adjustments, too, and he’ll be looking to use them to his advantage when he challenges his American foe’s reign at ONE 166: Qatar on Friday, 1st March.
After parting with the crown, Pacio had some soul-searching to do. He left his longtime gym, Team Lakay, to form Lion’s Nation MMA with former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion Eduard Folyang, which has allowed him to centre himself and put everything into his critical rematch.
“You know, when you’re preparing for a bout with this kind of magnitude, you must be 100% ready physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally,” he analyzed.
“So far, all is well. I’m more focused. I have less than two weeks left of hard training, and we’re good to go.”
In the lead-up to their first clash 15 months ago, the meetings between Pacio and Brooks were far from civil. The American berated and bashed “The Passion” at any given opportunity, and this altered the former World Champion’s headspace.
As a result, Pacio’s performance was hindered, which undoubtedly contributed to him losing the match and the belt by unanimous decision.
The 28-year-old is highly aware of what he needs to do this time around, and he has sharpened up every aspect of his game to neutralize Brooks and leave Qatar with the World Title back over his shoulder.
“That’s the goal of this training camp – to fight with no hesitation. In this rematch, I must fight the way I really fight,” Pacio divulged.
“This is mixed martial arts. It’s either you will get hit or you will get taken down. Now, this camp has taught me to have the proper mindset. If I am one of the best in the world, I should fight like one. Yes, I’m also fighting one of the best in the world. But I shouldn’t forget that I’m also one of the best in the world.”
