ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio did not have to look far for inspiration entering his bout against Rene “The Challenger” Catalan at ONE: Masters of Fate, last Friday, November 8.
His team, the famed Team Lakay, has been struggling as of late, especially after going 1-3 in the historic ONE: Century in Tokyo, Japan last October 13.
Immensely passionate about the men whom he considers brothers, Pacio refused to let them down in one of the biggest matches for the team this year.
“What happened to us in Japan, it hurts. I still carry it. But my teammates motivated me to get this win for them. I thank kuya Kevin [Belingon] and my teammates for motivating me and pushing me,” Pacio said.
“I haven’t really moved on from that Japan night until now, so [it’s nice to win] at the end of the year.”
“The Passion” was clearly a man on a mission against Catalan. After connecting on solid strikes to the feet, the match then shifted to the ground, where the 23-year-old imposed his will against the veteran challenger.
Pacio got the finish in the second-round after securing the mount and applying a triangle choke.
Still high onthe taste of victory, Pacio is craving for more — and he wants it soon.
“I don’t have any plans of taking a break. After this win, training continues. MMA is a continuous learning process and I am ready to learn more and develop the skills that I have now,” Pacio said. “January 31 is the next event here in Manila, and we’ll never know — maybe I’ll compete again.
“I am not nitpicking opponents. If there is a deserving challenger, I’ll defend my belt.”
With all eyes on him now, the Baguio City standout promises to take on all challengers moving forward.
“Every victory motivates me to learn more and improve. There are a lot of athletes who will be gunning for the World Title, and I want them to know that I will always be at my best so I can hold this for a long time.”
ONE Championship returns this Saturday, November 16 for ONE: Age of Dragons in Beijing, China.
The prelims start on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and the ONE Super App at 5:00pm Philippine Standard Time (PHT). The main card starts at 6:30 p.m.
Also, ABS-CBN S+A will show the main card on a same-day delay at 11:00pm PHT.
Read More From ONE Championship:
Geje Eustaquio Spins To Win With Stunning Third-Round KO
Joshua Pacio Finishes Rene Catalan, Retains ONE Strawweight World Title
