Joshua Pacio’s Journey To ONE 166: Qatar

Former ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua Pacio is no stranger to adversity. Whenever the chips are down and doubt lays over him, "The Passion" rises from the ashes to return to glory.

When he meets ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Jarred Brooks in their highly anticipated rematch at ONE 166: Qatar on Friday, 1 March, Pacio gets the chance to right the wrongs he made 15 months prior at ONE 164.

Those 15 months in between battles with Brooks have seen him welcome new partnerships and wave farewell to long-running relationships - all in the quest to reclaim his former gold.

As far as ONE Championship's strawweight MMA division goes, Pacio is as synonymous as they come. "The Passion's" eight-year tenure has seen him hold the ONE Strawweight MMA World Title on multiple occasions.

His latest reign was his longest stretch at four and a half years, winning the coveted belt from Yosuke Saruta with a fourth-round head kick knockout at ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR in April 2019.

Three consecutive defenses followed until he ran into his most formidable foe in Brooks at ONE 164 in December 2022. The brash American promised to expose weaknesses in Pacio's game, and he delivered on that vow after nullifying the Filipino's attacks across five rounds to strip Pacio of the gold.

And to add insult to injury, Brooks did so in Pacio's home country of the Philippines surrounded by his fellow people. Ever since then, the heartbreak in Manila has fuelled Pacio to come back bigger, better, and stronger.

The lopsided defeat stung Pacio, and it stung him badly. After departing with the World Title, Pacio decided to do some soul-searching. He uncovered that you're merely a product of your environment. You're only as good as the people around you can nurture you to become.

Pacio's epiphany brought career-altering effects with it, choosing to part ways with his longtime Team Lakay to reach new heights. He then formed Lion's Nation MMA alongside former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion Eduard Folayang.

"The Passion" also began traveling to the United States to hone his wrestling skills with the intention of challenging for his former gold against Brooks. Pacio ventured to Jackson Wink MMA in New Mexico, where his teammate Folayang trained before winning his lightweight gold in 2018.

So when the time came to respond to the critics and silence the doubters at ONE Fight Night 15 this past October, Pacio was ready. But his task wasn't close to a tune-up.

He faced Mansur Malachievan, an unbeaten Russian phenom with nine stoppages in his then-11 professional outings. Despite the significant task in front of him, "The Passion" was ignited more than ever. Thwarting Malachiev across three rounds to earn the unanimous decision win, Pacio handed the Russian his first professional loss.

When the going gets tough, Pacio digs deep. The Filipino isn't one to allow a loss to define him. His responses to his lowest moments have made him a bonafide strawweight standout.

The great philosopher Seneca once said that "No man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity. For he is not permitted to prove himself." No words could ever describe the story of "The Passion" more fittingly.

When he collides with Brooks in their pivotal sequel at ONE 166 in Qatar on Friday, 1 March, the chips will be down on the table. His former gold will be up for grabs. And the time to become a legend will have arrived.