ONE strawweight champion Joshua Pacio of Team Lakay during the ONE Warrior Series Philippines launch. Photo from ONE Championship
MANILA, Philippines—If Joshua Pacio will have his way, he wants his fellow Team Lakay warriors to also be part of ONE Championship’s return to Manila.
Asia’s biggest martial arts promotion will stage its first event in Manila in two years on December 3 with Pacio staking his strawweight strap against Jarred Brooks in the main event of ONE 164 at Mall of Asia Arena.
“They are saying that I’m the lone (Filipino) champion. But I always tell them, I train with the champions,” said Pacio in Filipino during the launch of ONE Warrior Series on Thursday.
Pacio is vouching for the likes of Eduard Folayang, Kevin Belingon, Geje Eustaquio, Stephen Loman, Jeremy Pacatiw, and Jhanlo Sangiao to be included in the event.
“Kumbaga dalawa yung card na yun, Amazon Prime and yung isa, so ilagay niyo na yung lahat ng Team Lakay sa isang card like Team Lakay versus The World,” Pacio said.
(Since it’s two cards, Amazon Prime and the other one. Put all the Team Lakay fighters in one card. Like Team Lakay versus The World.)
The 26-year-old Pacio, who last fought in September last year when he ended his trilogy with Yosuke Saruta via a first-round TKO, believes that he hasn’t reached his maximum potential yet.
“Although I’m a champion, I can feel that I can prove myself more. I haven’t reached my full potential. I need to triple time to achieve it,” Pacio said.
“When I fought Saruta, I wanted to show something but it ended in the first round. In my upcoming fight, you will see a more precise and more technical Joshua Pacio. I know that my opponent is a pressure fighter but I’m ready to throw precise shots,” he added
The Baguio City native, who owns a 20-3 record, knows that Brooks (19-2) is a high-level fighter with vast experience having fought in the UFC and Bellator to name a few.
But Pacio remained undaunted ahead of his showdown against the American, who has called him out several times.
“I know the caliber of Jarred Brooks as an athlete, he’s a very very high-level wrestler. He’s been there, fighting high-level athletes in the world. But I don’t feel any pressure. I just do my part, I train hard… I’m hungry to learn,” Pacio said. “I think my opponents before like (Yoshitaka) Naito and Saruta, they’ve prepared me to handle pressure.”
“Expect my fight with Brooks to be explosive, not just in trash talking. But December 3rd, expect my instinct,” he added.