"There are rules to follow" - Joshua Pacio responds to critics who think strawweight gold was "handed" to him at ONE 166: Qatar

Joshua Pacio doesn't understand the sentiment from some fans that he was gifted the ONE strawweight MMA world championship.

'The Passion' has been through a lot in 2024 but there was nothing more dramatic than what happened at ONE 166: Qatar inside the Lusail Sports Arena.

In March, Pacio was set to face Jarred Brooks in a rematch for the strawweight gold after 'The Monkey God' dethroned him in their first meeting.

The fight ended early on after Brooks accidentally spiked him on his head, leading him to be disqualified which saw the 26 pounds of gold change hands.

A significant injury suffered by the Filipino star pushed back a huge trilogy bout between them but now, at ONE 171: Qatar inside the very same venue on February 20, they're set to unify the strawweight belts and settle the score once and for all.

In a recent interview with The MMA Super Fan, Joshua Pacio spoke about the reaction to their first Qatar clash and how some people acted like he didn't deserve to win back the gold:

"I don't know why people say it was handed to me. It's a sport. There are rules to follow. If there is no sport, then get a weapon and hit the champ with it so that you can win."

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Joshua Pacio is out to prove a point at ONE 171: Qatar

With his previous comments in mind, it's no surprise that Joshua Pacio feels like he has a point to prove heading into ONE 171.

While fans have disputed who the true ONE strawweight MMA world champion should be, he has been recovering in order to come back at his very best.

In the mean time, Brooks has gone away and won the interim title by submitting Gustavo Balart in April.

At the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar, they will run it back and hopefully produce a clear and decisive outcome.