“I’m committed to getting back” - Joshua Pacio says he has spared no effort throughout recovery phase

Reigning ONE strawweight MMA world champion Joshua Pacio is determined to get back inside the circle as soon as possible.

Pacio reclaimed the divisional gold in March after defending king Jarred Brooks was disqualified for inadvertently spiking him on the top of his head during a takedown attempt.

The incident occurred less than 60 seconds into their ONE 166: Qattar rematch, bringing an end to the bout and seeing the title switch hands in a most unfortunate fashion.

Luckily, Pacio didn't sustain any significant injuries from the illegal maneuver but later discovered that he had torn his ACL somewhere along the way, forcing him to undergo surgery.

Speaking with BJPenn.com, 'The Passion' made it clear that he's not content sitting on the sidelines and is working hard to make his highly anticipated return sooner rather than later:

“I’m committed to getting back to where I belong. I have no plans of sitting on the sidelines for long.”

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Jarred Brooks eagerly awaits Joshua Pacio's return to the circle

While Joshua Pacio continues to heal up, ONE Championship recently introduced an interim strawweight MMA strap.

Headlining the promotion's return to the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, former ONE world champion Jarred Brooks squared off with streaking Cuban sensation Gustavo Balart to crown an interim titleholder and determine who Pacio would face upon his return.

It took 'The Monkey God' less than a round to finish Balart in the ONE Fight Night 24 main event, securing a rear-naked choke submission.

With the win, Brooks is once again a world champion and is guaranteed a trilogy fight with Pacio once the Filipino fan favorite is ready to return.

If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE Fight Night 24 replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.