It would’ve been easy for ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio to question his faith after a stormy 2024 that saw all his plans fall aside after he tore his ACL.
It also didn’t help that he also regained his World Title in the most forgettable way possible, beating Jarred “Monkey God” Brooks via disqualification last year.
“You know when I started the year, I envisioned it to be an active year both in ONE and outside of it. Beat Brooks, defend my title, join jiu-jitsu competitions in both gi and no-gi,” Pacio said.
“That’s what I truly wanted. I wanted to improve my jiu-jitsu but I couldn’t seem to do it. There are a lot of things I really missed out on because of the injury.”
But Pacio saw things a little bit differently.
Instead of looking for someone to blame, Pacio’s faith grew as he saw the value of slowing things down and finding the right timing.
He understood that such trials are all part of it, being a World Champion and a man of God. But how he emerges will be his ultimate measure of greatness.
“I guess the Lord was just teaching me that he’s still in control. That I had to pause for a bit but he’s always got me,” Pacio said.
Now that Pacio’s fully healthy and recovered, he’s excited to see how this year unfolds for him, and it starts with his trilogy against Brooks for the undisputed ONE Strawweight MMA World Championship at ONE 171: Qatar inside Lusail Sports Arena in Doha on February 20.
“With the grace of God, I’m confident with what’s in store for me this year,” he said.
“You know as they say, for as long as we put in the work, God will do the rest, and that’s one thing I’m keeping in my mind right now.”
