December may have just begun, but Joshua Pacio has already received an early Christmas gift.
Tiebreaker Times has obtained medical and physical examination documents, confirming that the reigning ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion has been cleared to resume intense training.
This sports news website was the first to report earlier this year that the 28-year-old Baguio City native had suffered an ACL tear in his right knee during preparations for his rematch against Jarred Brooks last March.
Despite the injury, Pacio and his team decided to push forward with the scheduled fight.
The bout itself ended in controversial fashion when Pacio regained the belt via disqualification after Brooks landed an illegal slam, causing the Filipino fan-favorite to crash headfirst onto the mat.
A few weeks week after the clash, the Lions Nation MMA co-founder underwent an MRI to assess the damage to his knee and neck, which confirmed the ACL tear.
Throughout his recovery, Pacio committed to a strict regimen, dedicating his weekdays to therapy sessions in Mandaluyong City.
His routine included physiotherapy at PhysioLab and strength and conditioning at Tiger City Boxing Gym under coaches Jay San Pedro and Ramie “Tex” Gonzaga.
Joshua Pacio right on track to recovery: ‘I’m super motivated to get back’
Pacio’s persistence paid off when he aced the hop test at PhysioLab, earning clearance from Dr. Jose Raul Canlas, a prominent sports medicine expert and orthopedic surgeon affiliated with the Philippine Olympic Committee and St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global City.
For Pacio, this is cause for celebration after overcoming a potentially career-threatening predicament.
Now that he’s been given the green light to engage in full training, a return to competition may be on the horizon.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a ONE Championship official confirmed to Tiebreaker Times that the promotion is targeting a rubber match between Pacio and Brooks in the first quarter of 2025.
As of press time, Brooks is set to figure in a non-title flyweight MMA duel against divisional ranked contender Reece McLaren at ONE Fight Night 26 on Saturday morning.
Regardless of the outcome, “The Monkey God” remains next in line for “The Passion” due to his status as the ONE Interim Strawweight MMA World Champion, a title he secured with a victory over Gustavo Balart this past August.
With the match lineups for the organization’s first two premium live events of 2025 nearly finalized, ONE 171 is likely to host the highly anticipated third chapter in the rivalry between Pacio and Brooks.
It was announced a few days ago that ONE 171 will take place at the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar on February 20, 2025, marking the company’s second event in the said Middle Eastern country.
Fittingly, the same venue staged their contentious second encounter, offering both men a chance to settle the score decisively.
