Pacio moves up to face Wakamatsu for ONE Flyweight Crown

Filipino MMA star Joshua “The Passion” Pacio is set to chase history as he aims to become the Philippines’ first two-division world champion in ONE Championship.

Widely recognized as the most accomplished strawweight in the promotion’s history, Pacio is moving up in weight to challenge newly crowned flyweight champion Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu at ONE 173 on November 16 at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

Now 29, Pacio has exclusively competed at strawweight throughout his ONE career. Despite stepping into unfamiliar territory, he embraces the challenge. 

“This is a new chapter for me. I know the odds, but I’ve been through adversity before. I’m ready for this,” Pacio shared. 

Earlier this year, Pacio made a triumphant return after nearly a year sidelined by a partially torn ACL. At ONE 171 in Qatar last February, he completed his trilogy against Jarred Brooks for the ONE Strawweight MMA World Title. 

After surviving a dangerous guillotine attempt in the opening round, Pacio rallied in the second, unleashing ground-and-pound to unify the strawweight crown. 

The win improved his record to 23-4 and marked his seventh reign as ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion.

At ONE 173, Pacio faces a formidable opponent in Wakamatsu, who enters the bout on a four-fight win streak, including a victory over Pacio’s teammate Danny Kingad. 

Wakamatsu claimed the vacant ONE Flyweight title at ONE 172 in May with a knockout win over Adriano Moraes.

Despite the challenge of fighting in front of a partisan Japanese crowd, Pacio remains undeterred. 

“I’ll be walking into his backyard, but I know the Filipino spirit travels well. I’m doing this not just for me, but for the entire Philippines,” he said.

A victory would make Pacio the first Filipino to capture ONE world titles in two divisions, cementing his legacy as one of the country’s greatest combat sports icons.