Joshua “The Passion” Pacio earned his rematch with ONE strawweight MMA world champion Jarred Brooks defeating Mansur Malachiev last year, and the Filipino superstar won’t let it go to waste.
His date with destiny is Friday, Mar. 1, at ONE 166: Qatar.
Using his loss to Brooks in Dec. 2022 as motivation, Pacio is dead set on leaving everything inside the Circle in the Middle Eat.
“I lost in a fight where I didn’t showcase my absolute best. That disappointment lingered within me for a long time,” he told ONE.
“Now, I’m turning that disappointment into my fuel for this fight. I know the lapses I committed in the first fight, and in the rematch, I will aim to rectify them.”
For Pacio, this training camp is more about his mental attitude when the bell rings.
The former longtime divisional king doesn’t want to be caught like a deer in headlights when Brooks brings the action to him, so he’s ready to do whatever is needed
“This is mixed martial arts. It’s either you will get hit or you will get taken down. This camp has taught me to have the proper mindset. If I am one of the best in the world, I should fight like it,” Pacio admitted.
“That’s the goal of this training camp – to fight with no hesitation. In this rematch, I must fight the way I really fight.”
“I see two [possible outcomes]: It’s either I win by knockout or I win by decision. Jarred Brooks is no pushover. He can strike and he can wrestle. But I’m prepared wherever the fight goes.”
Pacio’s shift in mentality has come from his new home at Lions Nation MMA. After exiting Team Lakay, he found a home alongside his friend and partner Eduard Folayang at the new facility.
He feels comfortable in his new surroundings and expects that to pay off when the spotlight shines on March 1.
“When you’re preparing for a bout with this kind of magnitude, you must be 100 percent ready physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally,” Pacio said.
“First of all, as an athlete, you have to feel at home. When you’re confident and happy in your environment, it will bring out the best in an athlete. And I can honestly say that’s what I’m feeling right now. All of that can be attributed to the support I’m getting here at Lions Nation MMA.”
Although there has been a keen focus on his mental state and day-to-day improvement in the gym, “The Passion” has also made changes to his nutrition.
Everything he has done has been centered around his rematch with “The Monkey God.” Pacio believes he is a more dangerous competitor now, and he’s ready to make the most of his chance to reclaim the world title and resume his reign over the strawweight division.
“I’m blessed because I’m having the proper preparation, from the fight itself to strength and conditioning, and even the nutrition,” he said.
“For this training camp, we’ve got all the help I need to monitor my progress. We have a legitimate strength and conditioning coach, Kuya Vince [Loman], who has really focused on enhancing my explosiveness and speed.”
“In the grappling aspect, of course, Professor Gibran Langbayan is here to help. Plus, he brought his younger brother, Godwin, with him. Godwin is one of the best jiu-jitsu practitioners in the Philippines and is part of the national sambo team.”
“In terms of the fight itself, we’ve done a lot of simulations to have a real feel of all the possibilities that could happen in the fight.”
ONE 166: Qatar airs live on Friday, Mar. 1, at 7:30 a.m. EST/4:30 a.m. PST.