“I'm quite surprised” - Joshua Pacio says he’s been able to eat as much as he wants in move to flyweight

ONE strawweight MMA world champion, Joshua Pacio of the Philippines, is enjoying his preparations for his flyweight debut.

The 29-year-old will seek history as his country’s first-ever two-division world champion in the blockbuster ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri mega-event.

On November 16, Pacio will challenge ONE flyweight MMA World champion Yuya Wakamatsu in front of his hometown fans at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena.

While conquering a higher weight class is an incredible challenge, Pacio is actually seeing the benefits of his move.

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The 29-year-old revealed he’s been eating a lot more than usual to prepare his body for the physicality of the new weights.

Pacio revealed his surprise at the dietary freedom in his pre-event interview with ONE Championship:

"For this fight, I'm actually quite thrilled. I don't have to cut weight that much. [Peter Miller] from Condition Nutrition is still guiding me. At strawweight, I had to restrict my calories. Now, I'm quite surprised by the amount I'm able to eat."

Meanwhile, Pacio is coming off a legacy-defining win over his eternal rival Jarred Brooks at ONE 171 to unify the 125-pound belts.

That massive victory opened the doors for two-weight glory, and ‘The Passion’ is making sure his body is in peak condition to complete his next mission.

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Joshua Pacio grateful for opportunity to chase two-division glory

Joshua Pacio has fended off challengers in the 125-pound division over and over again. 'The Passion' stumbled at times and even lost his throne, but somehow always got it back.

Now, the Filipino superstar has undoubtedly paid his dues and will get a well-earned shot at claiming a second belt.

"My main goal was to defend my strawweight title, but I'll always grab opportunities that ONE Championship gives me. They gave me a chance to fight for the flyweight belt, so here we are," he told ONE.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda and ONE Championship for the latest on ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri.

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by Saiyed Adeem Karim