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MANILA, Phiippines – Former ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio remains upbeat despite the disappointing outcome in his return to the Philippines.
Pacio dropped his ONE Strawweight World Title after losing by unanimous decision to Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks at ONE 164 on Saturday, December 3, at the sold-out Mall of Asia Arena in Manila.
“All is well,” Pacio said. “I just want to thank my Lord and savior, Jesues Christ, for the strength and the protection that he’s given me.”
Pacio defended the American’s wrestling well, but Brooks’ striking gave him problems.
Brooks controlled the exchanges, connecting with solid combinations in the pocket and countering well each time Pacio came in. Coupled with the few takedowns Brooks did land, the writing was on the wall after 25 minutes of intense strawweight action.
While the loss was a tough pill to swallow, especially since it was in front of thousands of passionate compatriots, Pacio remains upbeat about his future.
After all, the mantra of the team has always been to win or to learn, and in this match against Brooks, he definitely took home some valuable lessons.
“We didn’t get the win last Saturday, but I thank God I learned a lot and saw what [I need] to improve as an athlete,” Pacio continued.
“[This is] what I love about this sport. It is a continuous learning and leveling up, and that’s what I am to do. I’ll be back stronger, smarter, and more dangerous.”
Pacio also reached out to Brooks with some choice sentiments, proving that while they may be fierce competitors inside the Circle, it’s all respect between the two fighters at the end of the day.
“To [Jarred], thank you for the experience brother and for making me level up again,” he said. “Congratulations to you, and I’ll see you soon.” – Rappler.com
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