{
  "id": 20003029,
  "title": "Purpose, Passion, Persistence: The Three Pillars Behind Joshua Pacio’s Reinvention",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/14/purpose-passion-persistence-the-three-pillars-behind-joshua-pacios",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-14T15:33:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/purpose-passion-persistence-three-pillars-153340287.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "For over a decade, ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua \"The Passion\" Pacio built his legacy in ONE Championship with impressive hands and quick reflexes. However, his most significant transformation occurred on the mats, as the gifted striker chose to start over and become a complete martial artist. Pacio, now defending his undisputed crown against Japanese submission specialist Keito \"Pocket Monk\" Yamakita at ONE SAMURAI 5, promises an evolution on the world's biggest MMA stage.\n\nHis opponent, Yamakita, brings a formidable ground game and a stellar five-fight winning streak into the title clash. Pacio, however, is now more than ready to face the kind of fight he once found daunting, armed with refined jiu-jitsu forged by years of humility and hard work.\n\nPacio's martial arts journey began in Baguio City, where an overweight 12-year-old discovered the art of wushu. Striking quickly became his passion, while grappling never ignited that same inner fire. It was merely a necessary skill he was expected to master. Nevertheless, Pacio's athletic prowess and sharp instincts led him to the top, relying on striking and functional takedown defense.\n\nFor years, Pacio never truly appreciated \"the gentle art\" until he co-founded Lions Nation MMA in 2023 and came under the guidance of Gibran Langbayan, the first Igorot jiu-jitsu black belt. Pacio stated, \"When Professor Gibran came, I think that was the time we became more enlightened on the true game of jiu-jitsu.\"\n\nWith two World Titles permanently attached to his name, Pacio could have settled for the same formula that brought him success. Instead, he embraced a white-belt mentality, rebuilding his ground training from the ground up. He welcomed the grueling challenge, learning from every training partner, including newcomers on the mats.\n\nPacio's impressive 24-5 professional record, built on 19 stoppage victories, illustrates his dangerous skills. However, early career losses against former ONE Strawweight MMA kings Yoshitaka \"Nobita\" Naito and Hayato Suzuki raised doubts about his grappling foundation. Pacio remained undeterred, stating, \"I have no ego. Even if you're a World Champion, there will always be someone better than you.\"\n\nNow, Pacio operates with supreme ease off his back, showcasing his technical comfort during his trilogy bout against Jarred \"The Monkey God\" Brooks. He weathered Brooks' heavy wrestling before stopping him in round two to unify the divisional crown, a flawless display of maturity rewarded with a purple belt by his coach Langbayan. For Pacio, that promotion marked a milestone on a much longer journey, not the finish line.",
  "summary": "The Filipino star heads to Tokyo with refined jiu-jitsu forged through years of humility and hard work.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}