Lito Adiwang offers his thoughts on how Joshua Pacio overcame Jarred Brooks’ dominant wrestling

Filipino strawweight MMA contender Lito Adiwang was happy to see reigning divisional king and former teammate Joshua Pacio beat rival Jarred Brooks and return to the top. He was also delighted that 'The Passion' did it by overcoming his opponent's vaunted wrestling skills.

Pacio unified the strawweight MMA championship belts by stopping erstwhile interim champion Brooks by TKO in their trilogy title match at ONE 171 in Qatar in February.

He was tested early in the contest by 'The Monkey God', who attempted a number of submissions, but Pacio handled them. In the second round, he turned things around, catching the American fighter's back before unleashing a flurry of strikes that Brooks simply had no answer for.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Lito Adiwang, who used to be part of Team Lakay in the Philippines like Pacio, shared his thoughts on what went down in the trilogy title match between the two top strawweights, particularly the way Pacio handled Brooks' wrestling under duress.

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'Thunder Kid' said:

"It showed how wrestlers tend to struggle when they’re on their back. Their mentality is to quickly power up, but they forget and overlook the punches and Joshua reminded him of that."

Lito Adiwang added:

"I just didn’t expect that Joshua’s gonna be executing that finish so flawlessly."

The win at ONE 171 was a form of redemption for Pacio, who reclaimed the strawweight MMA belt from Brooks in March last year by disqualification, after the American executed an illegal slam.

Lito Adiwang says he is open to moving up to flyweight

While he is still much into his strawweight campaign in ONE Championship, Lito Adiwang said he is open to pivoting to flyweight at some point. He shared this in the same interview with ONE Championship, highlighting how in the long run, competing in the 135-pound division could work for him.

The 32-year-old Soma Fight Club affiliate said:

"I’m excited to see what’s in store for me. I’m excited to see the possibilities. I’m even up to moving at flyweight and I think it will actually be better for me. Since I won’t be cutting too much weight, I can focus on a whole lot of other things."

Lito Adiwang barged into ONE Championship in 2019 and has been a noted fighter in the strawweight division, boasting of a 9-4 record.

About the author

Michael Murillo is a journalist who covers basketball and MMA at Sportskeeda with over two decades of experience. Michael has contributed as a proofreader, columnist and journalist for the Philippine broadsheet BusinessWorld.

A graduate of the University of the Philippines with a degree in English Studies, basketball caught Michael's imagination from an early age. Varsity basketball helped Michael to express himself, and later, it opened doors into the world of journalism.

Michael has a particular admiration for the Phoenix Suns, inspired by Kevin Durant. Icons like Magic Johnson and modern legends like Durant have left an indelible mark on Michael for their revolutionary impact on the game.

Michael relies on the tried and tested method of thorough research to ensure accuracy in his content. He has interviewed multiple NBA players and officials with BusinessWorld, alongside athletes from various disciplines.

Michael's hobbies include traveling, hitting the gym and watching movies, and he spends much of his downtime seeing his family.

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Edited by Krishna Venki