“I will make you eat balut!” - Joshua Pacio sends warning to Jarred Brooks

ONE strawweight world champion Joshua Pacio is always one to keep things going in a friendly manner, even if he’s threatening No.1-ranked contender Jarred Brooks with the beating that’s coming for him.

Joshua Pacio, who’s arguably the greatest strawweight in ONE Championship history, will defend his strap against Brooks in the main event of ONE 164: Pacio vs. Brooks on December 3 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila.

The much-anticipated world title match will be the culmination of a year-long feud between the two fighters, a beef that Brooks initiated since arriving at ONE Championship in November 2021.

Brooks went on a verbal rampage against Pacio and his gym Team Lakay. While Pacio didn’t have the same brand of mic skills as the American grappler, what he has is a quirky way of calling out his opponents.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Pacio said he’ll make Brooks eat “balut” which is a Philippine delicacy made of a fertilized developing duck embryo.

“Let’s go bro. It’s coming! I will see you in three months, December 3, my home turf here in the Philippines, and I will welcome you. I will make you eat balut!”

Pacio, 26, has already built a legendary resume in the sport, having beaten every ONE strawweight world champion during his run. Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke, Yoshitaka Naito, Yosuke Saruta, and Alex Silva have all fallen to ‘The Passion’ in the Filipino’s rampage through the division.

His last world title defense was the annihilation of rival Yosuke Saruta in their trilogy fight at ONE: Revolution in September 2021. Brooks, meanwhile, is 3-0 in ONE Championship and is coming off a first-round submission win over former No.1-contender Bokang Masunyane at ONE 156 this past April.

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Joshua Pacio is honored to headline ONE Championship’s return to Manila

ONE 164 marks the return of ONE Championship in Manila after more than two-years due to the restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Joshua Pacio is more than ready to fight on his home soil.

Pacio added that headlining the Manila card is both a huge responsibility and a privilege, as his head coach Mark Sangiao always told him.

“Coach Mark told me that being the champion is a huge responsibility and a privilege. He also said that being able to headline in Manila is an honor. I’m very motivated to inspire the youth watching, to show them that anything is possible. I know the next generation of Filipino martial artists are going to be even better than ours,” said Joshua Pacio.

The Team Lakay star last fought in Manila ONE: Fire and Fury in January 2020 when he scored a split decision win over Alex Silva in the main event.