Joshua Pacio Enters The Inner Circle 21 Title Defence As A Married Man With More To Fight For Than Ever
Joshua Pacio has been ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion across three separate reigns. None of them began with him having a wife. This one does, and it has changed the texture of everything.
Pacio defends the ONE Strawweight MMA World Title against Mansur Malachiev in the main event of The Inner Circle 21, streaming live for members in Asia primetime from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, July 10.
He married his longtime partner Anna Galleo in their hometown of Baguio City last December. What has followed inside the training camp has been a revelation in simplicity.
“She’s been an absolute godsend for me, especially in my career. She helps me with my meal plan, cooking for me every day. She really makes this training camp easier,” he said.
“Before, when I was single, after training, I still had to cook my meals. Now I can just focus on training and recovery because she takes care of me.”
The practical support has allowed Pacio to recover more cleanly between sessions and carry a cleaner mental load into preparation. The emotional support runs even deeper. The Filipino titleholder has always approached his fights with a ferocious desire to compete. Marriage has introduced a calming influence he was not sure he needed until it arrived.
“Lately I’ve been so eager to fight. I just want to get in the ring and defend my title. I feel impatient sometimes, but she keeps me grounded. She’s helping me to stay calm, reminding me to trust in God’s timing. She really helps me in that aspect,” he said.
The foundation on which the relationship was built matters to Pacio as much as anything that has followed. He and Anna share a God-centred commitment that he describes as the decisive factor.
“I guess we both have a strong relationship with God. That’s what was most important to me. Having a God-centered relationship was really the key factor, and we decided to get married,” he said.
What marriage has ultimately done is give him a second person to carry into the ring. The motivation was already there. It now has a different quality.
“I can say it’s added motivation. I’m no longer just thinking about myself. Of course, we’re two individuals, but we’re one now,” he said.
“I’m now thinking about future plans, future children, maybe businesses. But overall, she gives me more inspiration to push more, be better, and get the win.”
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