Pacio out to prove he’s legit champ
Joshua Pacio knows it was such a drag that he had to reclaim the ONE strawweight belt in a rather unconvincing manner.
Which is why he has set out to make things right.
And that chance has finally come to the fore this Thursday, when he battles—for a third time—Jarred Brooks in a title unification bout in ONE 171 at Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar.
“It’s not the finish I wanted, not how I wanted to get the belt. But we have to follow the rules. Now, it’s time to prove (myself),” he said.
Pacio and Brooks’ previous encounter in March of last year ended abruptly after the latter was disqualified for an inadvertent spike during a takedown in the opening round.
While the result brought the division strap back to the Lions Nation MMA standout, it came with the hefty cost of constantly being sought out to prove his true mettle and worth.
Pacio has since embraced those pesky questions, working on his craft and even making light of the fact that he actually battled Brooks at the time with a knee ligament tear.
Like ‘Mighty Mouse’
“I want to show a fighter who isn’t scared of what’s going to happen in the ring. A fighter who isn’t scared to be taken down,” he said, drawing confidence from knee strengthening routines he did at PhysioLab and a conditioning and mobility camp at Tiger City Boxing Gym in Mandaluyong.
“I want to show that I have answers—and that I’m not just going to rely on my takedown defense to stop him,” he added of Brooks, a proven whiz on the ground.
While Pacio was on the mend, Brooks worked his way back up into the division’s totem pole, swiftly submitting Gustavo Balart with a rear-naked choke for the interim title back in August, ultimately setting up the trilogy.
In easily one of the most important fights of his career, Pacio channeled an all-time great ahead of the main event 15-bout showpiece that gets going at 10 p.m. (Manila time).
“I want to show that he’s not just the only one who’s a threat in wrestling. Maybe I’ll take him down as well. Like (Demetrious Johnson)—that ‘Mighty Mouse’ mentality,” the 29-year-old ace from Benguet said.
Also flying the Philippine flag in Qatar is Kevin Belingon, Pacio’s stablemate and a former bantamweight champion. He looks to send off old rival Bibiano Fernandes with a loss in the latter’s final MMA fight of his career.
