MMA: Why Joshua Pacio isn't in a hurry to chase a world title

Despite his masterful performance against China’s Lan Ming Qiang in ONE: Global Superheroes on Friday night, Team Lakay’s Joshua Pacio maintained he is not in a hurry to get a strawweight title shot against reigning champion Alex Silva.

Pacio was dominant against Lan, as he easily established himself on full mount position against Lan, who soon gave up his back allowing Pacio to sink his arm under his foe’s neck for a fight-ending rear naked choke.

Before targeting a championship, Pacio said he wants to settle the score with two Japanese fighters who dealt him his 2 career defeats.

“Hindi ko muna iniisip na makaharap ang champion,” the 22-year-old fighter said. “Nandyan pa si Hayato Suzuki at Yoshitaka Naito.”

Pacio's first crack at the title was against ex-titlist Naito in October 2016. Despite being dominant for most of the bout, he was submitted by Naito in the third round. Last August, he suffered a similar fate against Suzuki.

Those losses are the reasons why Pacio wants to go through more fights before thinking of challenging Silva.

“Gusto ko pang lumaban pa ng mas marami for more experience. Gusto kong ma-prove ko muna na handa na'ko,” he said.

However, he admitted he wouldn’t refuse an outright title shot.

“Kung gusto ng ONE lumaban agad ako kay Silva, I'm very willing din . . . Pero kung maghaharap kami, pagbubutihan ko ang training,” he said. “Siguro mag-stop ako ng isang sem sa college para makapag-training ng maigi.”

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