Purpose, Passion, Persistence: The Three Pillars Behind Joshua Pacio’s Reinvention
For over a decade, ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio built his legacy in ONE Championship on blistering hands and razor-sharp reflexes. His most profound transformation, however, took shape strictly on the mats, where a gifted striker willingly started over to become a complete martial artist.
The Filipino superstar defends his undisputed crown against Japanese submission specialist Keito “Pocket Monk” Yamakita at ONE SAMURAI 5 this Wednesday, November 18, broadcasting live from EBARA WAVE Arena Ota in Tokyo. And he promises to show his evolution on martial arts’ biggest stage.
His opponent, Yamakita, brings a smothering ground game and a stellar five-fight winning streak into the World Title clash. Pacio, however, now actively welcomes the exact kind of fight that once felt entirely foreign, armed with refined jiu-jitsu forged through years of humility and rigorous hard work.
A Striker At Heart
Pacio’s martial arts journey began in Baguio City, where an overweight 12-year-old originally discovered the art of wushu. Striking quickly became his first love, while grappling never stirred that same internal fire. Back then, it was merely a necessary box he was expected to tick.
For years, sheer athleticism and quick instincts successfully carried him to the top. A sharp striking base coupled with functional takedown defense and a handful of submissions were all he required to capture gold.
Yet, by his own admission, he never truly appreciated “the gentle art” until he co-founded Lions Nation MMA in 2023 and came under the meticulous wing of Gibran Langbayan, the very first Igorot jiu-jitsu black belt.
Pacio told onefc.com:
“While we were doing wushu, there was also jiu-jitsu, but we really didn’t focus much on it. When Professor Gibran came, I think that was the time that we became more enlightened on the true game of jiu-jitsu.”
With two World Titles already permanently etched next to his name, Pacio could have easily settled for the exact formula that got him there. Instead, he fully embraced a white-belt mentality and rebuilt his ground training from the floor up.
He welcomed the grueling challenge, eagerly learning from every training partner in the room, including the newest faces on the mats. Along the way, jiu-jitsu stopped feeling like mandatory homework and slowly turned into a genuine calling.
“The Passion” said:
“I always liked it, even when we were just starting. Because in grappling, you go with the flow. There’s a time to relax, and there’s a time to be aggressive.
“For me, it’s normal to tap in training. I have no ego. Even if you’re a World Champion, there will always be someone better than you.”
The Question Mark That Lingered
Pacio’s impressive 24-5 professional record, built heavily on 19 stoppage victories, clearly tells the story of how dangerous he can be. His early career losses, however, narrate another.
Submission setbacks against former ONE Strawweight MMA kings Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito and Hayato Suzuki raised legitimate doubts about his grappling foundation — doubts that unfairly lingered even as his technical skills rapidly grew. Pacio simply kept working. Over time, defensive instinct hardened into offensive habit, and the canvas became less of a threat and more of a tactical opportunity.
The Lions Nation MMA representative said:
“Before, we’d say, ‘Oh, he’s a grappler, don’t let yourself get taken down.’ I’m tired of that kind of mindset. This is MMA. My job is to level up in every aspect so that you won’t be afraid no matter where the fight goes.”
These days, Pacio operates with supreme ease off his back. That technical comfort shone brightest in his trilogy bout against fierce rival Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks, where he brilliantly weathered the American’s heavy wrestling before stopping him in round two to unify the divisional crown. It was a flawless display of maturity that Langbayan rewarded on the spot with a purple belt.
For Pacio, though, that promotion marked a milestone on a much longer journey, not the finish line.
He said:
“As a team, we know [grappling is] one thing we’re lacking. We’re just doing our thing. It’s not like you will improve immediately, but your goal is to improve every day, even if it’s one percent every training session.
“Our jiu-jitsu level has gone up, and we can clearly see it.”
Small Details Matter
Pacio initially learned grappling as an emergency escape hatch — a desperate way out of bad spots. Even then, his creative streak naturally produced the “Passion Lock,” a modified kimura variation executed from back control. He famously used it to submit Pongsiri “The Smiling Assassin” Mitsatit at ONE: Reign of Kings, an early indicator that the hunted was actively becoming the hunter.
Surprisingly, that signature move is not his favorite finish. That distinct honor belongs to a fundamental arm-triangle, which he utilized to defend his crown against compatriot Rene “The Challenger” Catalan at ONE: Masters of Fate in 2020. What made the sequence unforgettable, however, was a completely chance encounter.
The longtime strawweight ruler recalled:
“We were sweating in the hotel [sauna], and there was this Japanese guy who gave one important clue on how to do the arm-triangle. I tried to drill it.
“During the fight, I did it. I knew I had it because I could hear his breathing. I learned that in every technique that you apply, and not just in jiu-jitsu but in every martial art, small details matter.”
His latest title defense ultimately felt like poetic justice. At The Inner Circle 21 this past July, Mansur Malachiev aggressively chased a rear-naked choke, the exact submission that once marked Pacio’s lowest career moments.
This time, the champion slickly slipped free and clamped down on the Dagestani’s neck to force the tap. For a fighter once haunted by that specific hold, it represented far more than just another title defense.
The 30-year-old said:
“We had done a lot of drills, a lot of shark tanks at that training camp. I didn’t expect to win in the first round.
“To be able to win via RNC, it almost makes me cry seeing how much my ground game has leveled up.”
A Lifelong Student Of The Gentle Art
Pacio now loves jiu-jitsu so deeply that he regularly trains in the traditional gi, despite its highly limited carryover to MMA. The heavy fabric deliberately slows the electric athlete down, and certain intricate moves still elude him. Triangles, he laughs, remain a constant struggle simply because his legs are too short.
What once felt like a grueling chore has evolved into a daily ritual he cherishes. Even when he inevitably hangs up his four-ounce gloves, he holds absolutely no plans to step off the mat.
“The Passion” said:
“It’s fun for me. When I don’t have a fight, I’m doing gi training. I enjoy it even if I’m so pitiful when I train in the gi.
“I’m even competing locally in jiu-jitsu tournaments because I love it. When I retire from professional MMA, I’ll still be doing jiu-jitsu in the Masters division.”
The exact ground that once held his greatest professional fears now harbors some of his biggest technical strengths. Against Yamakita on November 18, he puts that decade-long transformation to the ultimate test.
Somewhere in the distant past, a young Pacio is still frantically struggling to escape bad positions. Today, the undisputed champion has incredibly simple advice for the fighter he once was.
The Filipino superstar concluded:
“I’d tell him, just keep at it, don’t give up. You won’t immediately get good, but be patient. You know your purpose, you have that passion, you have that persistence. You will truly level up when you have all three.”
