ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio returned to the Philippines with the belt, but rued a missed opportunity after his match was cut short at ONE 166: Qatar.
Pacio secured the World Title after former champion Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks was disqualified 56 seconds into the first round of their strawweight MMA showdown at Lusail Sports Arena due to an inadvertent illegal slam.
The disqualification came when Brooks dropped Pacio on his head and neck, leading to the premature end of the match.
Pacio: 100 percent ready
Although the victory gave Pacio his third World Title, he expressed disappointment as he had prepared for a more convincing win.
“Going into that fight, I had no emotions. I was so relaxed, I felt light and loose. I [was] 100 percent ready, mentally and spiritually. I was there in really good condition. I was ready to win, not this type of win, but I [was] ready to win convincingly,” he said.
“I know, my team knows, God knows how ready I [was]. I had a quality training camp. My nutrition was quality. Of course, I didn’t like what happened. I was upset with what happened, but my prayer to God is that His will be done, and that’s what I saw.”
Pacio learned of the win in the hospital
Despite the anticlimactic nature of the victory, Pacio is grateful for God's protection, ensuring he escaped any major, long-term injuries.
Pacio didn't learn about winning the fight until he was in the hospital and his test results were cleared.
While there are questions about the legitimacy of his world title win, Pacio is more focused on his well-being and the upcoming trilogy with Brooks. He plans to use the next match to prove that he can beat Brooks convincingly, DQ or no DQ.
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