“Jarred made it look easy” - Joshua Pacio comments on Jarred Brooks’ latest victory

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(left) Joshua Pacio impressed with (right) Jarred Brooks
Joshua Pacio (left) impressed with Jarred Brooks' (right) latest performance at ONE [Credit: ONE Championship]

Filipino kingpin Joshua Pacio only had good words to say about his next challenger Jarred Brooks.

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The pair will finally clash in Manila, Philippines at ONE 164 on December 3. Their original strawweight match in June was postponed due to scheduling conflicts.

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Joshua ‘The Passion’ Pacio heads into his fourth world title defense following a one-sided victory over former titleholder Yosuke Saruta last year. His first challenger of the year, Jarred ‘The Monkey God’ Brooks, claimed the No.1-ranked spot after a thunderous first-round victory over Bokang Masunyane last April.

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When asked what his thoughts were on Brooks’ latest performance, Pacio told ONE Championship:

“To be honest, I was really impressed with his performance against Bokang [Masunyane]. That was a really dominant showing for him. I expected that fight to go the distance because they are both really talented, skilled, and explosive fighters. They are both highly athletic. But honestly, Jarred made it look easy. Super impressive.”
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At ONE 156, the Indiana state wrestling champion put on one heck of a performance by out-grappling his South African rival and putting him to sleep via a rear-naked choke in the first round.

Masunyane initially did well defensively, but Brooks’ unrelenting pressure became too much for the previously unbeaten athlete.

Joshua Pacio believes fans didn’t get to see the best version of Masunyane that night. He might have gone the distance as aforementioned and could have given Brooks a run for his money.

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‘The Passion’ speculated on why Masunyane's performance was sub-par:

“I think Bokang had a little trouble making weight which could have been a distraction for him, and maybe affected him mentally in that fight.”

Joshua Pacio vs. Jarred Brooks won’t be an “easy” match for either competitor

Joshua Pacio has a lot of film to soak before returning to the circle on December 3.

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Studying Brook’s past fights may help the Team Lakay fighter identify weaknesses he could exploit come fight night. But as Pacio admits, it won’t be such an easy task.

Brooks steamrolled his way to the top contender spot since his promotional debut in November 2021, collecting 2 finishes and 1 decision victory along the way.

Understanding the reputation Brooks carries, Pacio is aware of the danger he poses inside the ring. Joshua Pacio told ONE:

“Jarred earned his spot at the top. He beat a lot of big names, all the guys in the top five. All I can say is that he’s a very dangerous opponent and this isn’t going to be an easy fight by any means. He’s no walk in the park.”

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Edited by Virat Deswal
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