"This is new" - Joshua Pacio heads into uncharted territory in move up to chase flyweight gold

Joshua Pacio is navigating unfamiliar waters as he prepares for the biggest challenge of his career.

The reigning ONE strawweight MMA world champion challenges Yuya Wakamatsu for the ONE flyweight MMA world title at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri inside Tokyo's Ariake Arena on Sunday, November 16.

Leading up to their all-champion showdown, ONE Championship caught up with 'The Passion,' who opened up about the adjustment process of competing at flyweight after spending his entire ONE Championship career at strawweight.

Joshua Pacio said:

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"The priority is to make sure my body has adjusted well. This is my natural walking weight, but I've been fighting at 125 pounds for so long. My body is used to that already. So this is new."

The 29-year-old Lions Nation MMA representative's comments highlight the mental and physical shift required when moving up, even if flyweight represents a more natural fighting size for his frame.

After years of managing his body at the 125-pound strawweight limit, the Filipino warrior's body has adapted to that process. Now, competing at 135 pounds means retraining his system to perform optimally at a different weight. F

A victory would make him the first Filipino two-division MMA world champion in ONE Championship history, cementing his legacy as one of the promotion's all-time greats.

Meanwhile, Wakamatsu makes his first world title defense after capturing the vacant flyweight crown with a first-round TKO of former kingpin Adriano Moraes at ONE 172 inside the legendary Saitama Super Arena this past March.

Will it be Wakamatsu or Joshua Pacio who leaves Tokyo with the flyweight crown? Give us your predictions below!

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Joshua Pacio admits he's feeling 'stronger' at flyweight

In the same interview with the world's largest martial arts organization, Joshua Pacio admitted that training in a weight bracket higher has allowed him to feel unusually strong.

Joshua Pacio further added:

"I can assure you I've gotten physically stronger to be ready for this weight class."

Every additional facet he acquires along the way until November 16 will come in handy as he seeks to make Wakamatsu's reign as a flyweight MMA world champion a brief one.

Fight Fans can secure their seats for ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri by following this link. Those tuning in from around the world can head to watch.onefc.com for details on how to watch the card from their region.

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Edited by Himakshu Vyas