“It’s less stressful” – Joshua Pacio on why he relishes fighting in front of a sold-out crowd in the Philippines 

Filipino superstar and multi-time former ONE strawweight MMA world champion ‘The Passion’ Joshua Pacio would have liked to have his world title rematch against archnemesis ‘The Monkey God’ Jarred Brooks back home in the Philippines.

However, the 28-year-old co-founder of Lions Nation MMA in Baguio City is more than willing to make the thousand mile journey to Qatar just for the chance to gain back his ONE Championship gold.

Pacio first ran into Brooks in December of 2022, where he lost the coveted golden strap to the brash American in front of his hometown crowd in Manila. Now, the two are set to run it back in an epic rematch.

Speaking to The MMA Superfan in a recent interview, Pacio said he wished his rematch with Brooks was happening at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay like before.

The former Team Lakay athlete said:

“Actually, I was really expecting this fight to happen in the Philippines. For me, I want to fight in the Philippines because there’s less stress. As part of an athlete’s routine, physically and mentally, it’s less stressful because I don’t have to travel.”

Needless to say, Pacio is willing to take on Brooks’ challenge no matter the location.

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‘The Passion’ Joshua Pacio looks for redemption against ‘The Monkey God’ Jarred Brooks in Qatar

Former ONE strawweight MMA world champion ‘The Passion’ Joshua Pacio is set to run it back with the current divisional king ‘The Monkey God’ Jarred Brooks.

The two lock horns at ONE 166: Qatar, which broadcasts live from the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail on Friday, March 1.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch ONE 166: Qatar via global Pay-Per-View on watch.onefc.com. You can also visit ONE Championship’s official website for more information on how to watch the event from your specific location.