ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua Pacio has cemented his place among the greatest strawweight fighters in MMA history, but the Filipino superstar is already contemplating his next chapter.
The 29-year-old has dominated the strawweight division for years, capturing and recapturing the title over the years before the end to his epic trilogy with Jarred Brooks.
Pacio's most recent triumph came in February at ONE 171, where he delivered a second-round TKO victory over Brooks to settle their rivalry once and for all. The finish capped off one of the most compelling championship storylines in recent memory.
Looking back on his remarkable journey, Pacio takes pride in overcoming every challenge the division has thrown at him.
"When I think about my journey here at strawweight, it's been so many years. I'm just so happy," Pacio said. "So many trilogies, rematches – we've managed to win it all. It's been a journey."
That journey has seen Pacio establish himself as arguably the division's most accomplished champion.
His resume includes victories over Yoshitaka Naito, Yosuke Saruta, Alex Silva, and Mansur Malachiev.
Despite earning recognition as one of the sport's elite fighters, Pacio remains focused on continuous improvement rather than dwelling on accolades.
"Lito [Adiwang] also said that I'm the strawweight GOAT, but I don't really think about that label. I just think of how to improve as an MMA fighter," he explained. "I want to prove to the critics that even though Filipino fighters don't have the resources, the proper support, we can become World Champions and hold on to the gold."
As he enters the later stages of his career, Pacio is not shying away from moving up a division to continue his epic performances.
"After one or two years, if I have a hard time with weight, I think I'll go up to flyweight because we can't compromise my performance just to make weight," he said. "I'm a natural flyweight, and I'm the only one who can go down to strawweight fully hydrated."
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