Joshua Pacio cites COVID-19 as the reason for his long layoff: 'Walking felt like a whole training session'

Reigning ONE strawweight world champion Joshua Pacio had to deal with getting sick from COVID-19 before his next cage appearance for his much-anticipated trilogy against Yosuke Saruta at ONE: Revolution on September 24.

Now fully recovered from the virus, the 25-year-old from Baguio City’s Team Lakay opened up for the first time about the struggles he went through during his downtime.

“I did not expect catching COVID-19. It was a huge challenge for me not knowing how to get back to training and I was worried about my conditioning. I just prayed. Quarantine was tough, I was in quarantine for like five weeks until my body has recovered,” Pacio told GMA News Online.

“For 10 days I did not have a sense of taste. I experienced muscle and joint pains, and hardness of breathing. I thought this is just like a fight so mental toughness is important if I will give in or not. As a fighter, of course, I chose to fight.”

Pacio observed protocols and made sure to stay fit to boost his immune system against the virus, but even after doing those, he was totally caught off guard when he got sick while in tip-top shape.

“Even after I was negative, walking a few meters felt like a whole training session. I was very fit before I caught the virus and was ready for a five-round fight," he recalled.

The 25-year-old from Baguio City’s Team Lakay last saw action against former ONE strawweight world champion Alex Silva at ONE: Fire and Fury in January 2020. It has been his longest layoff yet, but Pacio guaranteed that he would be better than ever on the 24th of September.

“It will be an improved Joshua Pacio [on fight night]. Even though I did not have a fight scheduled I was in the gym helping my teammates,” he stated.

“The feel of a fight I never lost, that pressure and tiring feeling of five rounds.  I think it is going to be a more confident and improved Pacio this time.” — LA, GMA News