By Neil Mercado
FOLLOWING his return from a serious neck incident against American champion Jarred Brooks for the ONE Strawweight Championship, Joshua Pacio has declared his readiness to defend his title, which he won via disqualification against Brooks.
Given the unsettled nature of their first confrontation, Pacio expressed his desire for a rematch with Brooks, saying, "For me, it's unfinished business."
Brooks gets DQ for illegal slam
His fight with Brooks in ONE 166 Qatar took a dramatic turn in the first round when the American illegally slammed Pacio, causing a frightening neck injury. Consequently, Brooks was disqualified, and Pacio was declared the winner.
Pacio had mixed feelings about the win.
Mixed feelings for Pacio
"As a mixed martial artist, I didn't like the way I won, but I know that I earned the belt through hard work, not just by myself, but with my team and the people who sacrificed their time to train me. I deserve the recognition for years of dedication," he said.
Fortunately, Pacio did not suffer any major fracture from the incident.
"I'm grateful to God that there were no fractures. Just three weeks before my fight, I had a stiff neck, but it healed. These kinds of incidents are part of the sport. We're accustomed to them; they happen during training as well. Expect the unexpected in a fight, especially in this sport," Pacio commented on his injury.
Through hard work, Pacio said he hopes to defend his crown. (Neil Mercado)
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