“I can be a knockout artist as well” - Jarred Brooks promises Filipinos he will trade shots with Joshua Pacio

ONE strawweight world title challenger, Jarred Brooks, may be known as a wrestler, but he says he’s willing to throw down with Joshua Pacio when they finally get their hands on each other.

The much-anticipated showdown for the division’s crown is now set to take place at ONE 164 on December 3 and will be held at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.

‘The Monkey God’ has been on a rampage since making his promotional debut in November 2021. He ran through three of the top contenders in the division, namely Lito Adiwang, Hiroba Minowa, and Bokang Masunyane. In all his bouts, he has showcased his world-class wrestling and superior ground game, resulting in two submissions in his three wins.

During an interview with The South China Morning Post, Jarred Brooks acknowledged that the fight game can be unpredictable. However, he believes that his wrestling is just levels above Pacio’s. He said:

“I'm not going to sit here and sugarcoat it. It's like, anything can happen in a fight. Literally, anything. So you never know. I've knocked myself out before, like, who would have thought? But at the end of the day, I think that I have 10 times the grappling capabilities as him.”

While wearing a jacket inspired by the colors of the Philippine flag, Brooks addressed the Filipino faithful, promising that he will beat ‘The Passion’ in his own game.

“My good fellow Pinoys, I am going to try to knock your boy out on the feet. I know that you all talk stuff, all that stuff when I beat Lito, saying that I'm not a real fighter because I didn't go on the feet with him. But I'll show you all that I can be a knockout artist as well.”

Watch the full interview here:

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Jarred Brooks throws shade at Joshua Pacio's world title reign

Jarred Brooks has been a beast inside the circle, but he’s also shown an ability to throw fire on the mic during his tenure at ONE Championship. In his latest verbal tirade, he directed his attention to Joshua Pacio’s reign in the ONE strawweight division.

In the same interview with SCMP MMA, Brooks said:

“Josh, ‘Oh my gosh, how did he get here?’ I beat better people [in one year] than you have in your whole career. So I think that he's not going to be prepared for this style and the way that I'm going to bring it. Different fighters bring different opportunities and different kinds of styles that will be brought out of me. I'm super excited to fight Josh. He's a smarter Lito Adiwang, let's just say that.”

To his credit, ‘The Passion’ has defeated every man that has ever held the ONE strawweight world title. Meanwhile, as impressive as Jarred Brooks has been in his first three bouts, none of the men he has defeated have had a chance to compete for the world title.