ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio’s string of exciting performances has made him one of the most popular athletes in ONE Championship.
That is the type of form he promises to bring in his return to the Circle. The Filipino superstar defends his World Title for the second time against Alex “Little Rock” Silva of Brazil in the main event of ONE: FIRE & FURY at the Mall Of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines this Friday, January 31.
Pacio impressed fans in his World Title defense against Rene “The Challenger” Catalan last November at ONE: MASTERS OF FATE, and the 24-year-old now looks to do the same in this match.
“Being a World Champion means that you should have the confidence to do whatever it is you want to do in a match. You just have to think quick both on offense and defense before every move,” Pacio said.
“That is why I’ve been working and training so hard in every match. My goal is to improve in able for me to work on my plans better. My aggression has given me good results in my past fights, and it is going to be my main weapon against Silva this Friday.”
But the prodigious talent out of Baguio City knows it will not be easy.
Silva is a former ONE Strawweight World Champion and is one of the few athletes to win World Titles in more than one sport.
The 37-year-old Sau Paolo, Brazil native was a Copa de Mundo BJJ World Champion before he turned his attention to mixed martial arts, where he became one of the best strawweights in the world.
“As I’ve said, I have a high respect for Silva. He was a former ONE World Champion and I am aware of the things that he can do in our match,” Pacio said.
“I saw his eagerness to win the belt in his previous matches, and that’s my main motivation for training so hard for this. I am hungry to keep my World Title in the Philippines, I don’t plan on losing in front of my fellow Filipinos.”
The moment the opening bell rings, fans can expect a thrilling ride for as long as the bout lasts.
For “The Passion,” there are no secret strategies. He plans to go in there and perform to his fullest, fueled by a huge desire to keep the World Title around his waist.
“I will bring what the fans want and what they have been waiting for. I will bring war to the cage and I know that’s what my countrymen want,” he said.
“In every win, that’s my reward for all the hard work that I’ve put in. I’m in a position that I only dreamed of before, and on 31 January I will show how eager I am to keep the belt for a long time.”
Will the young World Champion take another big name in Alex Silva? Find out at ONE: FIRE & FURY on 31 January at the Mall Of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.
The lead card begins on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and the ONE Super App at 5:30pm Philippine Standard Time (PHT
To watch the main card, tune-in to ABS-CBN S+A or iWant at 8:30pm PHT.