Joshua Pacio, Eduard Folayang (©ONE Championship)

Mountain biking is one of the things that keep reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio, 24, of Baguio City, Philippines busy while on hiatus due to the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It is an activity he loves to do with his Team Lakay teammates.

Based in La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines, Team Lakay is one of the most prolific martial arts teams in Asia. The team is the absolute elite in Asian martial arts with well-known and established stars such as former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, 36, of Mountain Province, Philippines and former ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon, 32, of Ifugao, Philippines leading the pack.

However, Team Lakay has had to resort to alternative methods of training to keep their physical fitness at the highest level due to the effect the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the world particularly on the Philippines where movement has been greatly restricted. Fortunately, the team is situated in Baguio City, which is abundant with lush greenery, cool weather, and fresh mountain air and is one of the most breathtaking locales in the country.

Pacio said he rides a lot with his Team Lakay teammates Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly, 36, Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio, 31, Honorio “The Rock” Banario, 30, Danny “The King” Kingad, 24, Jeremy “The Juggernaut” Pacatiw, 24, and Jomar Pa-ac, 22. The reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion said, “It’s one of the ways we bond.”

“We ride together and experience the outdoors,” Pacio continued. “It’s reenergizing and revitalizing, great for the mind and body.”

According to Pacio, one of his most memorable experiences mountain biking was when ONE Championship came to Baguio City for a shoot. He recalled, “They wanted to capture us mountain biking, so we went to Bubok Bisal, which is an hour and a half away from here.”

“We enjoyed it a lot,” Pacio continued. “There were a lot of uphill and downhill slopes. We started riding at 10 in the morning, and we finished around 4:30 in the afternoon, ending up along a river where we had a meal before we went home.”

“It’s those moments that get etched into your memory,” Pacio added. “It was such an amazing experience.”