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Dominant ONE strawweight world champion Joshua Pacio will be defending his world title against Jarred 'The Monkey God' Brooks at ONE 164. The much-anticipated world championship bout will be Pacio's 4th defense of his ONE strawweight strap. Brooks has been throwing serious barbs at the rather stoic world champion on social media for months now. Things will finally come to a head in Manila come December 3.
The bout was originally planned to headline ONE 158 back in June but had to be moved to another date. Coming into this main event world title bout, Brooks has run roughshod in ONE's strawweight division since his debut back in 2021. The Monkey God soundly beat top guys like Pacio's teammate Lito Adiwang, Japanese standout Hiroba Minowa, and previously undefeated Bokang Masunyane.
Meanwhile, Joshua Pacio is on a four-fight win streak since starting his second reign as the division's king. Although Pacio admits that the American wrestler is not going to be a walk in the park, he also points out that his own Wushu expertise will not be easy to deal with either.
Speaking to ONE Championship, Pacio said:
“I can say it won’t be easy for him to take the belt either. I’ve worked hard for this for many years. There can only be one winner in the fight, but I know no matter what, it won’t be easy for him. I’m extremely confident I can beat him and retain my World Title.”
Joshua Pacio reveals what it takes to beat Jarred Brooks at ONE 164
Speaking further about the match-up, Joshua Pacio provided an interesting insight into how he thinks he'll beat the wrestling-heavy Brooks. The ONE strawweight world champion said:
“I think it’s going to come down to the scrambles, finding the right timing, and picking my shots. I don’t mind trading with him, but I have to be smart about it. We’re going to come in very comfortable, wait patiently for opportunities, and just fight a smart fight with a good game plan. I have many weapons to knock him out.”
If there's one thing fighters from Joshua Pacio's stable are best known for aside from their striking, it's their explosive athleticism. These men are unbelievably athletic and have otherworldly cardio. Aside from throwing fight-ending combinations and strikes, Team Lakay fighters use their athleticism to scramble out of dangerous spots and put their opponents through hell.
Brooks is going to have to rely on his powerful wrestling to control and stop the cyclone-like movement of Pacio. Easier said than done, of course.
