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Andrew Whitelaw

Joshua Pacio already sits atop ONE Championship’s strawweight division, but the Filipino star said his story is only just beginning.
The 29-year-old is chasing a new challenge at ONE 173 in Tokyo, where he moves up to flyweight to face Japan’s Yuya Wakamatsu in pursuit of becoming the Philippines’ first-ever two-division world champion.
“This is a big opportunity not just for me, but for the Philippines,” Pacio told the Post. “To be the first ever Filipino two-division world champion would mean everything.”
The reigning strawweight king’s evolution has continued since leaving Team Lakay in 2023 to join Lions Nation MMA, the Baguio-based gym founded by former teammates Eduard Folayang and Kevin Belingon.
The change, Pacio said, reignited his love for the sport and offered a fresh approach to training.


“It’s been a happy fight camp,” he said. “I’ve been eating a lot, training hard and enjoying every session.”
A key figure in Pacio’s preparation has been Peter Miller of Condition Nutrition, whose detailed approach to fuelling and hydration has made a clear difference in his performance.
“Since I’ve been part of Peter’s programme, it’s been a big factor – not just for making weight or passing hydration, but for performance,” Pacio said. “The energy, the strength – it’s different when you eat healthy and eat the proper food for your training camp.”
The move to flyweight has allowed him to train without the draining weight cuts that often accompany his division. “It’s every fighter’s dream not to cut weight,” he said.
“Just enjoy the training, eat well and still perform at your best.”
Pacio said fighters are becoming more intelligent in their preparation as sports science becomes an integral part of martial arts. “You can see it not just in MMA, even in Muay Thai,” he said. “Fighters like Tawanchai and Rodtang are training scientifically now: proper strength and conditioning, proper nutrition. Martial arts keeps evolving.”
He has experienced the contrast first-hand.
“I trained old school before, and I can see the difference,” he added. “Training smart and scientific, it’s different.”
That evolution has extended throughout his career, shaped by rivals who forced him to improve with every fight. His rematches with Yosuke Saruta, Yoshitaka Naito and Jared Brooks tested every part of his game and helped forge the champion he is today.
“All of these rematches made me who I am,” he said. “They showed me my weaknesses. When I fought them again, I proved that I improved. Sometimes I use their strengths to defeat them. They’re like my teachers.”
Now, as he faces Wakamatsu, Pacio knows the dangers in front of him. “He has that knockout power,” he said. “His wrestling and grappling have improved a lot too. But I’ll mix things up – wrestling, kicks, punches. It’s still MMA.”
ONE 173 will also mark Pacio’s first time competing in Japan, a country that has long played a role in his career through his many Japanese rivals. “Japan is rich in martial arts history and culture,” he said. “The people are very respectful. I’m just so happy to compete there.”
Pacio takes pride in seeing mixed martial arts flourish across the Philippines, with new fighters emerging in every region. “MMA is very famous now in the Philippines,” he said. “You can see gyms all over Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, and every gym has a rising star. It won’t stop with us – there’s a next generation coming.”
At 29, the strawweight champion still feels far from his peak. “Hopefully I can showcase a different Joshua Pacio,” he said. “A stronger, more levelled-up version. This is my natural weight class, and I want to show my strength here. God willing, we’ll bring that belt home.”


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Joshua Pacio is looking to become the Philippines’ first two-division world champion. Photo: ONE Championship

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Sport

Martial Arts

Joshua Pacio moves up from strawweight to flyweight for ONE 173 bout with Yuya Wakamatsu


Joshua Pacio moves up from strawweight to flyweight for ONE 173 bout with Yuya Wakamatsu.


ONE Championship: Pacio’s bid to become Philippines’ first-ever 2-division world champ

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Joshua Pacio moves up from strawweight to flyweight for ONE 173 bout with Yuya Wakamatsu

Joshua Pacio moves up from strawweight to flyweight for ONE 173 bout with Yuya Wakamatsu