Joshua Pacio

From a boy who watched his father leave to work abroad at the age of six to a three-time ONE Strawweight World Champion, Joshua Pacio’s journey to the top is marked by titles he lost and reclaimed time and again.

Profile

The story

Joshua Felix Pacio was born in La Trinidad, Benguet, and grew up with Igorot roots in the mountains of Northern Luzon. He started with kickboxing, switched to wushu at thirteen, and won several national titles.

In 2007, Pacio joined Team Lakay. He made his professional MMA debut in 2013, followed by his ONE Championship debut in 2016. In September 2018, he captured his first ONE Strawweight World Championship title against Yoshitaka Naito.

After losing the title to Yosuke Saruta and Jarred Brooks, Pacio repeatedly fought his way back to the top. In 2024, he reclaimed the title via disqualification, and in 2025, he unified the belt with a TKO victory over Brooks. In July 2026, he defended the title against Mansur Malachiev.

In the ring

Fighting style

Pacio is a technically complete MMA fighter with roots in wushu and striking, complemented by a solid ground game thanks to his BJJ purple belt. He combines sharp, fast combinations and kicks with strong takedown defense and dangerous knee attacks from the clinch. His finishing rate is high, split between knockouts and submissions.

Results

Performance

Three-time unified ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion; professional record of 23 wins and 5 losses, with a 67 percent finishing rate, including 9 knockouts and 8 submissions; multiple Performance of the Night bonuses, including a $50,000 bonus in July 2026; the top-performing Filipino fighter in ONE Championship for many years.

Over the years

Timeline

1996: Born on January 10 in La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines.

2007: Joins Team Lakay in Baguio City.

2013: Professional MMA debut.

2016: Makes his ONE Championship debut and loses his first title bid to Yoshitaka Naito in October.

2018: Wins his first ONE Strawweight World Championship against Naito in September.

2019: Loses the title to Yosuke Saruta and regains it in April via a fourth-round knockout.

2021: Defends the title for the third time against Saruta in September.

2022: Loses the title to Jarred Brooks in December.

2024: Regains the title in March via disqualification against Brooks.

2025: Unifies and defends the title in February with a TKO victory over Brooks; loses a bid for the flyweight title to Yuya Wakamatsu in November.

2026: Defends the strawweight title via submission against Mansur Malachiev in July and prepares for a title defense against Keito Yamakita on November 18 at ONE Samurai 5.

Influence

Legacy

As a product of the famous Team Lakay, Pacio helped put the Philippines on the map as a combat sports nation within ONE Championship. His rivalries with Yosuke Saruta and Jarred Brooks made him one of the most talked-about and resilient champions in strawweight history. His ability to fight his way back to the top after every defeat makes him a role model for young Filipino fighters.