“It’s a goal I share” - Joshua Pacio wants to emulate Demetrious Johnson’s exit and retire from the sport as a champ

Reigning ONE strawweight MMA world champion 'The Passion' Joshua Pacio of the Philippines feels motivated as he recovers from an ACL injury that has kept him sidelined for the last few months.

Pacio suffered a torn ACL earlier this year, shortly after defeating rival 'The Monkey God' Jarred Brooks at ONE 166: Qatar via disqualification to reclaim the gold.

And with the recent news of Demetrious Johnson's retirement from MMA, Pacio is getting a little sentimental.

Speaking to Sportskeeda MMA in an exclusive interview, Pacio talked about wanting to emulate 'Mighty Mouse's' legendary career.

The Lions Nation MMA star said:

"That’s the dream — to finish on top, and it's a goal I share. I aspire to end my career on a high note as well."

Pacio is one of the most talented MMA fighters to come out of the Philippines. A former Team Lakay member and now co-founder of Lions Nation MMA alongside the legendary Eduard Folayang, Pacio is revered in his home country and has fans all over the world.

Of course, he isn't anywhere near the level of achievements Johnson has had in his career. But 'The Passion' says the American legend is someone worthy of looking up to.

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Joshua Pacio rues missed chance at Demetrious Johnson super-fight: "DJ was on my wish list"

Count 'The Passion' Joshua Pacio among those who wanted to fight 'Mighty Mouse' Demetrious Johnson but never got the chance to.

The 28-year-old Filipino star told Sportskeeda MMA that he planned to move up to flyweight to challenge the legend. It's a missed opportunity that he will now have to live with. 'The Passion' said:

"It's unfortunate that I didn't get to fight him. I always knew I would eventually move up to flyweight, and DJ was on my wish list. Now that he's retired, I missed that chance, but I'm completely okay with it."