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Newly crowned unified and undisputed ONE strawweight MMA world champion 'The Passion' Joshua Pacio of the Philippines knew with the first big punch he landed on American rival 'The Monkey God' Jarred Brooks, he had the win secured.
Pacio and Brooks went to war at ONE 171: Qatar last week to unify the strawweight MMA gold, and 'The Passion' ended up taking home a second-round technical knockout victory in front of a partisan Filipino crowd at Lusail Sports Arena.
Speaking to the media at the ONE 171: Qatar official post-event press conference, Pacio detailed the exact moment he knew he had the win in the bag.
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'The Passion' said:
"Honestly, the first connection, the first hook that I threw, it landed on his nose, and I saw his eyes move, he's afraid. The first connection that I did. So in that connection, I knew, I knew that he was afraid, and he's gonna take the fight to the ground, and that's what he did. But in the second round, I know I'm gonna control him. You know, I'm gonna control him."
ONE 171: Qatar was broadcast live from the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail, Qatar, last Thursday, February 20. Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action via replay on-demand on watch.onefc.com or on the official YouTube channel.
Joshua Pacio says embracing the challenge is the secret to success: "You need to be friends with the pressure"
For a 29-year-old, 'The Passion' Joshua Pacio has the composure of a grizzled veteran. But it's all because he never shied away from pressure.
Pacio has fought through adversity his entire career and has learned to embrace the difficulties and obstacles he encounters.
He told the media:
"The pressure is my friend. You need to be friends with the pressure. You know, I'm used to it. Ten years in ONE Championship, I didn't expect it. I was 19 years old, and now I'm 29 so I'm used to it."
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding Joshua Pacio's next fight.
