Joshua Pacio is currently in the United States, preparing for what appears to be an inevitable rematch with Jarred Brooks for the ONE strawweight championship.
Pacio endured a tough fight with the American bruiser in December of last year and ultimately surrendered his hold on the coveted world title. However, this time, the 27-year-old Baguio City native knows what he must do to reclaim his throne atop the division.
With the goal of improving his skills and addressing the gaps in his game, Pacio traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico earlier this month with stablemate and former ONE lightweight titleholder Eduard Folayang to train at Jackson Wink MMA Academy.
Greg Jackson, the co-founder of the aforementioned world-class training facility, had a firsthand experience with Pacio and felt impressed by the phenom’s work ethic.
“Joshua has the spark. There are kids who have that spark of talent, and he’s one of those guys. He has that flame that once you feed it, the fire’s already big,” the renowned MMA trainer told Tiebreaker Times.
“I mean, he was the world champion for goodness knows how long. Even where he is now, he can ascend to a higher place, and that’s because of the passion he brings and the fire he has in him.”
Observing the amount of commitment Pacio puts in to hone his craft, the three-time Coach of the Year awardee is determined to assist him in his bid – and it starts with strengthening the Filipino’s wrestling.
“We’ll be focusing on the wrestling side, ensuring that he can counter-wrestle and that if he gets taken down, he can get up quickly because right now, the only way to beat Joshua is to basically snuggle him and hold him as tight as you can,” Jackson disclosed.
It can be remembered that Brooks’ ground game was one of the critical components in his triumph over Pacio.
Jackson – who played a significant role in the success of George St-Pierre and Jon Jones under the UFC banner – feels pleased with Pacio’s progress so far.
“I think he has all the talent and all the tools. Once he gets some information on the one little part that’s missing, the sky’s the limit for him. I feel really lucky that these guys have chosen to come all the way here. It’s a privilege,” Jackson stated.
When asked about his thoughts on a possible second encounter between Pacio and Brooks, the American coach is confident that “The Passion” will be able to seek revenge.
“I’m 100-percent confident; I’m a reckless optimist. I believe in my guys 100-percent,” he said.
“There’s no doubt he’ll be able to reclaim the title, avenge that loss, and have a great career in front of him. Very excited about that.”
