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ONE strawweight world champion Joshua Pacio is not just one of the best Wushu specialists in the game. He is also a highly underrated submission grappler. Back in 2018, the Team Lakay standout pulled off one of the rarest submissions you'll ever see in MMA.
Against Pongsiri Mitsatit, Pacio debuted what is now called the 'Passion Lock'. The best way to describe the submission is that it's a modified hammerlock from the back. If you want to see how it looks, watch this video below.
After catching one of Pongsiri's kicks, Pacio got a tight bodylock and slammed the Thai hard to the ground. From there, the strawweight king dominated from the mount position until Pongsiri inadvertently gave up his back.
In perhaps a desperate attempt to defend against a possible choke, Pongsiri tried to trap one of Pacio's arms under his armpit. Instead of getting his arm trapped, Pacio pulled on his opponent's wrist and cranked it hard.
It was such a nasty angle on the shoulder and elbow that Pongsiri had to tap right away. The submission was one of the most inventive we've ever seen and a huge testament to Joshua Pacio's resolve and composure when entangled on the ground.
Joshua Pacio returns to action in front of a live crowd in Manila
On December 3, ONE strawweight world champion Joshua Pacio will be making his fourth straight world title defense when he faces Jarred 'The Monkey God' Brooks at ONE 164. Ever since debuting in ONE Championship last year, the outspoken Brooks has been throwing barbs at the strawweight king on social media. The two will finally be able to settle the score in front of Pacio's hometown crowd in Manila.
This will mark the first time Pacio will fight in front of his people since the start of the pandemic over two years ago. In an interview with ONE Championship, Pacio was all excited and happy to finally perform in front of his fans in the Philippines:
"I’m very, very excited for this fight. I’m even more excited now that ONE Championship is coming back to the Philippines after more than two years. The energy and excitement is just different in Manila, with the thousands of Filipino fans screaming in the stadium. It really gives us extra motivation to perform at our best. I’m very proud to be a Filipino and I want to make the Filipino fans proud."
It's been said that Manila crowds are built differently. Whether you're a hometown favorite or a journeyman fighter, Filipino fans will cheer and boo like no tomorrow. Fighting in front of a crowd like that will surely fuel any fighter to perform beyond their limits. Look to see Joshua Pacio bring his A-game and more once his hometown crowd starts cheering his name on December 3.
