The new Filipino MMA world champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio is dedicating his winning of the One Championship Strawweight belt to the Cordillera people who recently suffered damages brought by typhoon Ompong.
In his Facebook post soon after winning his championship rematch with Yoshitaka Naito at the ONE: Conquest of Heroes in Jakarta, Pacio called on the Igorots and Cordillera people to rise above the challenges they are facing.
“To my Home Land, It is very heartbreaking moment for Cordillera this time, but I know as One Blood we will Rise Up Again… a lot of challenges, a lot of disasters came to our land, came and we overcame it as One.
We are the people of the mountains and there are no challenges that we can’t conquer,” wrote Pacio on his Facebook wall.
The MMA fighter from Team Lakay also acknowledged all his previous opponents as having been part of his journey towards his championship title.
Team Lakay is acknowledged as Asia’s top martial arts camp based in Baguio City. It is also the training team of Filipino MMA Champion Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio.
ONE Championship describes Pacio’s win as “a clever mix of wushu-based striking, stellar takedown defense, and his ability to contend with his rival on the ground.”
Watch Joshua Pacio’s reflection on his historic win at ONE:
