‘What I Wanted, But Not How I Wanted It’ – Joshua Pacio Reflects On Challenging 2024
In 2024, Joshua “The Passion” Pacio reclaimed the ONE Strawweight MMA World Title he so desperately wanted, but nothing else about the year went as planned.
The Filipino superstar is now preparing for his highly anticipated return to action at ONE 171: Qatar on February 20, where he’ll square off against the division’s interim titleholder, Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks, in a massive trilogy battle to unify the gold.
That matchup will go down at the picturesque Lusail Sports Arena – the same venue where Pacio defeated Brooks to take back the strawweight crown in March 2024.
Although “The Passion” left Qatar with 26 pounds of gold, he wasn’t particularly thrilled with how he achieved it. That’s because he won by way of disqualification, finding himself on the receiving end of an illegal slam less than a minute into the bout.
In addition, Pacio had suffered a torn ACL, which sidelined him for the remainder of 2024.
The 28-year-old recently spoke to onefc.com about the past 12 months:
“Looking back at this year, all I can do is to thank God still. I know that He is in control. Me winning that belt, I look at it as still God giving me what I wanted, but not how I wanted it.”
Pacio admits that he had big plans for 2024, as he was hoping to level-up his ground game, compete in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and fight multiple times in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
Even though things didn’t pan out that way, he’s now grateful to be back in the training room at full health.
The Filipino said:
“When I started the year, I envisioned it to be an active year both in ONE and outside of it. Beat Brooks, defend my title, and join jiu-jitsu competitions in both gi and no-gi. That’s what I truly wanted. I wanted to improve my jiu-jitsu, but I can’t seem to do it. There are a lot of things I really missed out on because of the injury.
“The worst thing that can happen to an athlete are injuries. But at the end of the day, I still thank God for the healing. I’m 100 percent back. I’ve recovered well. I’m back training, and that’s all I ask for.”
Also, Pacio’s time on the sidelines strengthened his faith, and it forced him to realize that some things are simply out of his control.
Looking ahead to his battle with Brooks at ONE 171, he said that his renewed trust in God has given him a sense of calm confidence.
“The Passion” explained:
“In this long layoff, I realized how much God remains in control of our lives. I was asking Him questions. I asked Him, ‘Why?’ In that fight, I felt like I was in my best shape. That was my best training camp, hands down. I hired a nutritionist, I had a quality recovery, and I was so confident at that time. Even when I started walking out to the Circle, I was light on my feet. I was really confident, but that’s what happened.
“I guess the Lord was just teaching me that He’s still in control, that I had to pause for a bit, but He’s always got me. That’s why I’m confident in this fight. For as long as I train hard and do my part, His will will be done.”
Joshua Pacio Details Recovery Process
Leg injuries can dramatically change any athlete’s career, but Joshua Pacio is sure that he’s done everything in his power to come back stronger than ever.
The strawweight king was happy to report that surgery wasn’t required. Instead, he worked closely with physical therapists to regain strength and stability in his knee.
He said:
“My doctor gave me two options – surgery or we’ll just strengthen the muscles surrounding the knee. Luckily for me, it wasn’t a full tear. When I went to Physiolab, they saw that I had a partial tear, but it can be worked on.
“I spent eight weeks there in Physiolab and we really strengthened the muscles around the knee. They based it per activity. They unlocked other muscles around my knee, making sure I don’t strain my knee too much in all of my movements. I also worked with Tiger City. They worked on my hip mobility. That’s what I worked on there.”
After an arduous recovery process, “The Passion” received the best Christmas gift he could have asked for – a clean bill of health.
Now, less than two months away from his ONE Strawweight MMA World Title unification bout at ONE 171: Qatar, there’s no doubt that he’ll be at his best.
Pacio added:
“Now, I have full clearance from Doctor Canlas, and it really took a lot of weight off my mind.
“That’s all I wanted. It took all my fears away, it took all my hesitations away. There’s no fear of aggravating it anymore. I have peace of mind this time around that I can wrestle, grapple, strike, and work on my conditioning and game without thinking about anything.”
