3 hours Ago
Undisputed ONE strawweight world champion Joshua Pacio of Lions Nation MMA praised his Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach Gibran Langbayan following his win over Jarred Brooks at ONE 171 in Qatar last week. Langbayan, the first Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belter in Benguet, was one of the team members who prepared Pacio specifically for Brooks' ground game. Langbayan's wisdom was on full display as Brooks grappled Pacio for four minutes in the first round but failed to make the Filipino tap.
"Having Prof Gibran in the team brought us the confidence we deserve when we go to the ground," Pacio said in an exclusive interview. "There used to be a mindset that the opponent is a grappler, and we cannot afford to be taken down. It is MMA; we can get taken down, but now I know what I am doing.
" For most of his career in his previous stable, Pacio had no access to an in-house jiu-jitsu coach, highlighted by the fact that two of his four losses came by way of submission. Now, with a proper set of coaches for fights in Lions Nation MMA, Pacio is more confident than ever when on the mat. "That is the confidence I bring in the fight with Prof Gibran and his brother Godwin.
It was a huge help. It is a mix of styles and brains of two black belts coming together," Pacio stressed. —JKC, GMA Integrated News.
