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Filipino MMA superstar Joshua Pacio admits his speedy recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) did take him by surprise.
The ONE strawweight MMA world champion was forced to sit out for the remainder of 2024 after reclaiming his crown in the unlikeliest of ways against Jarred Brooks at ONE 166: Qatar in March.
The divisional strap switched hands after 'The Monkey God' accidentally spiked the Filipino standout on his head, which resulted in a DQ for the American in the Lusail Sports Arena.
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Thankfully, Joshua Pacio did not suffer any injuries from that incident. But a non-fight related incident with his knee during training postponed any talk about an immediate trilogy before the calendar year came to an end.
'The Passion' left no stone unturned in his bid to regain full fitness. And his hard work paid off when he was given the fight to clear late last year.
Joshua Pacio, however, admitted during an interview with The MMA Superfan that he was rather shocked by the speed of his recuperation. The Lions Nation MMA representative did point out that he only suffered a partial tear to his ACL, though.
He said:
"Yes, I was a bit surprised [by the speed of my recovery] for my case because I've been looking at others who have suffered ACL injuries, and theirs are far worse. Their tears were full tears, unlike mine, but I was still confused at first."
Watch the full interview here:
News of Joshua Pacio's return would have pleased Jarred Brooks
News about Joshua Pacio's return to fitness would have delighted one man in particular — former kingpin and nemesis Jarred Brooks.
'The Monkey God' has been waiting for a chance to run it back against Pacio since that fateful night in Qatar.
Though a trilogy last year was ruled out, Brooks gained the interim crown against Gustavo Balart to book a unification tie and a trilogy alongside the Filipino wizard.
That hotly anticipated rubber match will take place at ONE 171: Qatar, which emanates live from the Lusail Sports Arena on February 20.
