Rivalries: Joshua Pacio

Life at the top seems to suit Joshua Pacio just fine.

The Lakay MMA star will likely defend the undisputed One Championship strawweight title opposite Jarred Brooks sometime in the second half in 2022, though an injury to the American scuttled their June 3 booking and put the 125-pound division on temporary hold. Pacio, 26, carries a four-fight winning streak that has seen him lord over the weight class for more than 1,100 days. He arrived in One Championship in 2016 and quickly cemented himself as one of the Singapore-based organization’s brightest young stars.

As Pacio awaits word on his next move from One Championship matchmakers, a look at some of the rivalries that have helped shape his career to this point:

Yoshitaka Naito

The Paraestra Matsudo standout slowed Pacio’s ascent when he submitted the previously unbeaten Filipino prospect with a rear-naked choke in the One “State of Warriors” main event on Oct. 7, 2016 at Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar. Naito brought it to a close 1:33 into Round 3 and in the process successfully defended the One Championship strawweight belt. Pacio, just 20 years of age at the time, appeared to be in good shape through the first 10 minutes of the match, as he shut down all but two of his opponent’s takedown attempts with an effective sprawl and damaging knees to the head. Naito was undeterred and remained committed to his gameplan. He scrambled onto Pacio’s back after bailing on a single-leg takedown in the third round, locked the choke in place and prompted the tapout. They met again a little less than two years later at One “Conquest of Heroes,” where Pacio exacted a measure of revenge in their rematch and captured the strawweight championship with a five-round unanimous decision.

Hayato Suzuki

The Brave Gym representative emerged as the No. 1 contender in the One Championship strawweight division with a rear-naked choke submission of Pacio in the first round of their One “Kings and Conquerors” showcase on Aug. 5, 2017 at Cotai Arena in Macau, China. Suzuki slammed the door 3:17 into Round 1 to improve to 15-0-2. Pacio delivered a brutal spinning back kick to the body during an initial exchange but allowed the former Grachan champion to close the distance and clinch. Suzuki kicked off the fence into a takedown and moved deftly to his adversary’s back, hooks in place. After an extended struggle on the ground, he dialed in the choke, tightened his squeeze and forced a reluctant but resigned Pacio to capitulate.

Alex Silva

Pacio kept the One Championship strawweight title on lockdown with a contentious five-round split decision over the Evolve MMA export in the One “Fire and Fury” headliner on Jan. 31, 2020 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines. Silva went back-and-forth with the champion for 25 minutes and put him in legitimate peril with an arm-triangle choke in the second round. However, he found himself outgunned on the feet—a reality that became more and more apparent once fatigue took hold in the latter stages of the match. Pacio leaned on his superior conditioning, picked apart the decorated Brazilian practitioner with crisp combinations and even threatened him with a guillotine choke in Round 5. Those efforts were enough to propel him past Silva in the eyes of two of the three cageside judges.

Yosuke Saruta

Pacio tied a definitive bow on his trilogy with the onetime gymnast when he retained his undisputed One Championship strawweight crown with a technical knockout in the first round of their One “Revolution” co-main event on Sept. 24, 2021 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Saruta succumbed to punches 3:38 into Round 1. The two men spent the majority of their time engaging one another in the center of the cage. Pacio probed for openings with kicks, ate a few punches for his troubles and sprang into action. He sat down Saruta with an overhand right, pushed him backward and uncorked a devastating left hook as the Japanese veteran retreated. Pacio then swarmed with punches, drove his counterpart to a kneeling position and drew the curtain with a final volley of unanswered blows. The decisive victory gave him a 2-1 edge in their memorable head-to-head series: Saruta had beaten him by split decision at One “Eternal Glory” in January 2019 before being knocked out by a Pacio head kick in the fourth round of their One “Roots of Honor” rematch a little less than three months later.