- Joshua Pacio is an Asian mixed martial artist who made his professional debut in 2016 when he got signed to the ONE Championship
- The 29-year-old is the current ONE Strawweight World Champion and has an estimated net worth of $1 million dollars
- Raised by a single mother, Pacio is determined to debunk all suspicions of being wayward and get to the very top to make his mother proud
Joshua Pacio is a 29-year-old mixed martial artist, popularly known as “The Passion”. He is currently the “ONE Strawweight World Champion”, a title he is winning for the second time.
Thus far, Pacio has fought in 23 bouts and has won 20 of those. He is currently said to have an estimated net worth of $1 million.
Early Life of Joshua Pacio
Joshua Pacio was born on January 10, 1996, in La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines. He had quite a rough childhood as his father had to travel to Israel for work when he was just 6 years old, and his mom was left to raise him alone.
Pacio grew up to be overweight, which led him to start training in Muay Thai, also referred to as Thai Boxing, at 11. While at Muay Thai, Pacio lost 9kg with the help of his uncle, a former Muay Thai fighter.
Joshua started training in Wushu and became the national Wushu Champion in his home country when he was 13 years old. At 14, he joined Team Lakay, a martial arts group based in his hometown, La Trinidad.
The martial artist attended the university of Cordilleras, Baguio City, where he obtained a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management.
Joshua Pacio is a “ONE Strawweight World Champion”
As stated, Pacio made his debut at Team Lakay Championship and later got signed by the ONE Championship after a red-hot-six-match winning streak. He made his ONE Championship debut on April 15, 2016, where he won the match with Rabin Catalan, in the second round by technical knockout.
The 29-year-old mixed martial artist won the world title reign in 2018, after winning five of his six bouts at ONE Conquest of Heroes. He won the title after a unanimous decision by the judges. Sadly, he lost the belt four months later. His loss came to Yosuke Saruta at ONE Championship: Eternal Glory on January 19, 2019, in a controversial split-decision.
However, Pacio won back his title after he was given an outright rematch at ONE Championship: Roots of Honor on April 12, 2019. He won in the fourth round and regained his world title. Ever Since, he has defended the title against, Rene Catalan, Alex Silva, Yosuke Saruta, and Jared Brooks in different bouts.
In his career as a martial artist, Pacio has fought a total of 23 fights. He won 20 and lost only 3.
The ONE Strawweight World Champion has an Estimated Net Worth of $1 Million
It is no news that Asian Promotions do not reveal how much they pay their fighters. However, according to Wikipedia, Ben Askren, a ONE FC Fighter, revealed he was paid $50,000 per fight and a $50,000 winning bonus.
Given the revelation of Ben Askren, and the number of bouts “The Passion” has fought and won, his net worth may be way above the reported $1 million.
See Also: Valerie Loureda – 10 Things You Didn’t Know About The MMA Fighter
Interesting Facts about MMA Fighter, Joshua Pacio
The “ONE Strawweight World Champion” has a Signature Move
Just like many MMA fighters, Joshua Pacio has a signature move which was dubbed “The Passion Lock”. He unveiled this maneuver during his fight with Pongsiri Misatti. The move is called the hammerlock, it is mostly used in wrestling.
His Mother is the Inspiration Behind his Championship Journey
After his father left for Isreal, Pacio was left with just his mother who had to play the role of both parents. People assumed that because he was raised by a single mother, he would turn out to be a wayward child.
It was for that reason that Pacio decided to work hard and be the best, as a way of appreciating his mother for her sacrifices.
The Martial Artist Gives Back to his Community
In September 2018, after his victory at the ONE Championship: Conquest of Heroes, his hometown was ravaged by a series of typhoons.
Pacio as a way of supporting his hometown dedicated his win to the people of his city. He also joined his first team, Team Lakay in helping out with relief efforts.
Despite being raised by a single mother, the ONE Strawweight World Champion has proven that success is not all about having both parents. Hoping that sooner than later, he will win more titles and eventually win the Heavyweight MMA Championship.
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