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The past year was arguably the most pivotal one for Filipino star Joshua Pacio.
Throughout his entire ONE Championship career, Pacio carried the banner of the famed Team Lakay gym. Things, however, took a drastic turn for the former ONE strawweight MMA world champion.
Pacio is now under the newly formed Lions Nation MMA, and it’s this new stable’s flag that he’ll carry in the biggest rematch of his career.
The 28-year-old will attempt to reclaim his throne from ONE strawweight MMA world champion Jarred Brooks at ONE 166: Qatar at Lusail Sports Arena on March 1.
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Ahead of his highly anticipated rematch, Pacio said he’s enjoyed better liberties in coming up with a game plan with his new team.
Joshua Pacio told The MMA Superfan:
“It’s a big factor heading into this fight, and we can really see what I want to do, and at the same time, it’s not just what I need to do.”
In March 2023, several former world champions left the confines of Team Lakay and created Lions Nation MMA shortly after.
Eduard Folayang, a former ONE lightweight MMA world champion, was the first to leave, and Pacio followed suit just two days after.
Pacio has since represented his new gym at ONE Fight Night 15 when he dominated Russian grappler Mansur Malachiev for a unanimous decision win.
Watch Pacio's entire interview below:
Joshua Pacio vows to show an improved version against Jarred Brooks
While they’ve only fought each other once, the beef between Joshua Pacio and Jarred Brooks is already one the most compelling rivalries in ONE Championship.
The two have shown massive respect to each other, but they’ve also thrown shots at one another, with neither man flinching with every jab.
In the same interview, Pacio said he’s heard Brooks’ statements and vowed to put on a show-stopping performance in Qatar:
“I admit, I was more stagnant in that match than I usually am. Brooks predicted that I’ll just keep moving around in the rematch and I’ll show him my improved footwork.”
