ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua Pacio carries more than just his own dreams into every fight.
The 29-year-old Filipino fights with the memory of his uncle Ray, who passed away in April due to heart problems and served as the driving force behind his martial arts career.
Ray was the person who first introduced the young Pacio to combat sports, setting him on a path that would eventually lead to championship gold.
For the Baguio City native, his uncle’s influence extended far beyond simple introductions to training.
“My uncle introduced me to martial arts. He believed in me that I would become a champion someday,” Pacio said. “He pushed me to my limits in training. He taught me to train hard and at the same time to train smart.”
Ray stepped into a paternal role that shaped not just Pacio’s fighting style, but his entire approach to life.
“He’s my uncle, but I felt that he was my father, physically and spiritually,” Pacio explained. “He didn’t stop looking for new ways. He didn’t stop researching. He’d research every top fighter on the planet and look at how they train. He really played a big role in my career.”
From his early wushu tournaments to his current reign as strawweight king, the lessons Ray instilled have remained central to his success.
Now, as Pacio continues to defend his title and cement his legacy as one of the division’s greatest champions, he carries forward the teachings that shaped him into the fighter he is today.
“I know that if I apply the skills in a fight that he taught me, he is happy, and I know that by applying what he taught is the thing that will honour him,” Pacio said.
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