It is possible that Joshua Pacio, also known as “The Passion,” will be entering uncharted terrain when he competes in the Middle East for the very first time. Pacio is a former undisputed ONE strawweight MMA world champion and a previous star for Team Lakay.
However, the co-founder of Lions Nation Mixed Martial Arts, who is 28 years old and hails from Baguio City, Philippines, maintains that he is counting on a very big Filipino contingent in Qatar to show up and show their support for him.
When ONE Championship makes its historic return to the region, many Filipinos who are working overseas are expected to be in Qatar to witness the tournament live. Qatar is home to a large number of Filipinos who are employed abroad.
According to Pacio, who recently gave an interview to The Peninsula Qatar, he believes that the environment in Qatar would be quite comparable to the one in Manila. This is due to the fact that there is a large Filipino presence in the Middle East.
According to “The Passion,”
It is a privilege and a blessing that I have the opportunity to do this. I miss fighting in the Philippines, and I believe that the atmosphere will be the same when I perform on March 1st because I am certain that a large number of Filipinos will be able to witness the event when it takes place.
To suggest that Pacio will require every ounce of support in order to have any chance of winning the gold is an understatement. He is going to be facing the most difficult opponent of his whole career.
‘The Passion’ Joshua Pacio to run it back with American tormentor ‘The Monkey God’ Jarred Brooks at ONE 166: Qatar
It’s called “The Passion.” Jarred Brooks, also known as “The Monkey God,” was the first person that Joshua Pacio ever met. It was in 2022, when the American won his world title by unanimous decision in front of his hometown supporters at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, which was the venue for ONE 164.
Now, the 28-year-old is seeking retribution as he engages in a fresh conflict with Brooks.
In an epic rematch that will take place at ONE 166: Qatar, Pacio is going to battle Brooks for the ONE strawweight mixed martial arts world title. Beginning on Friday, March 1, the tournament will be aired live from the Lusail Sports Arena, which is located in Lusail.
“The Passion” is confident that he will walk away from the arena with the gold, but he claims that he will not be able to do it if his fellow countrymen are not present to cheer him on.
On March 1, ONE 166: Qatar will be broadcast live on watch.onefc.com as part of a global pay-per-view event. If you would want more information on how to watch ONE Championship from your area, please visit the official website of the organization. Please continue to check back with Sportskeeda MMA for all of the most recent information and updates concerning the event.
