"5 rounds are fine" - Senzo Ikeda wants Jarred Brooks, winner to challenge for world title 

Senzo Ikeda has been flying lately in ONE Championship, winning his last three fights in the promotion, two of which came via knockouts.

His run of form could give him a case to enter the top five of the strawweight rankings, but he’s not just settling for a mere spot in the division’s elite. Ikeda is looking to take on No.2 contender Jarred Brooks and then book a shot at Joshua Pacio’s ONE strawweight world title.

Replying to a Twitter post by AsianMMA, Ikeda said that he’d even face Brooks in a five-round fight despite non-title matches lasting just three.

Ikeda wrote:

“Let’s do it I want to do it with the strongest guy! There is nothing to be afraid of! 5 rounds are fine! The one who wins will challenge the title!”

Senzo Ikeda, a former Pancrase flyweight champion, dominated fellow Japanese fighter Ryuto Sawada and secured a second-round technical knockout win in the opening fight of ONE X, ONE Championship’s 10-year anniversary show, last Saturday.

Brooks, meanwhile, won his first two fights in ONE Championship against No.5 contender Lito Adiwang and No.4-ranked strawweight Hiroba Minowa. Those wins ascended him to the No.2 spot in the division.

---

Senzo Ikeda remains in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19

Senzo Ikeda is three days into his self-isolation after he tested positive for COVID-19 when he arrived in Japan on Monday, a couple of days after ONE X.

Ikeda flew back to his home country along with fellow Japanese fighter Shoko Sato, who also tested positive for the virus.

Japanese law mandates that individuals who yield a positive COVID-19 result will be placed under a seven-day quarantine. They will only be allowed to leave isolation when they get a negative test after a week.

Ikeda said that he hasn’t shown any symptoms of the virus. He did, however, admit that he feels lethargic because there’s nothing to do inside his hotel room in Narita.

He wrote on social media:

“I have no symptoms. I haven't moved for three days, so my body hurts. If I sleep like this, it's dangerous, so I wonder if I'll do something in the room from today."

Fans will certainly be looking forward to Senzo Ikeda's next appearance in the circle.