Pacio (left) and Silva (photo via ONE Championship)

By FCF Staff

ONE Championship is in the Philippines this week for the promotion’s latest event, which will take place on Friday in Manila. In the headliner, strawweight champion Joshua Pacio will take on former champ, Alex Silva.

Recently ONE held a pre-fight presser, and during it, Pacio and Silva had this to say about their upcoming bout (quotes via press release).

Pacio reported:

“Last year was a great year for me. Despite losing my title, I was able to gain it back and also put in some great wins against tough opponents. I feel very comfortable fighting here at home in the Philippines. I’m unbeaten here, and it’s because of all the support from the fans. It’s a huge privilege to face such a great competitor in Alex Silva. He’s a former world champion and has excellent BJJ, so this will be a huge challenge for me. I’m ready to face it.”

Silva said:

“First of all, I would like to say I really appreciate the support and respect the fans have given me here in the Philippines, even if I am going to face your hometown hero, Joshua Pacio. One thing you can expect from me is that I will put my whole heart into this match and give a good performance for all the Filipinos. It has been a long two year journey for me to get back into title contention, and I’m happy to be given another shot. For me, the harder the path the better because it helps me improve as a fighter. Joshua is a young and well-rounded athlete, and I have a lot of respect for him. But I believe this is my time now.”

Pacio (16-3) is coming off a submission win over Rene Catalan in November while Silva (9-4) tapped out Xuewen Peng in his last fight, which also took place that month.