“The rest is top secret” - Joshua Pacio says he got all the bases covered heading into Qatar against heated rival Jarred Brooks

Former ONE strawweight MMA world champion Joshua Pacio is prepared to avenge his loss against Jarred Brooks.

In December 2022, Pacio was scheduled to defend his ONE strawweight MMA world title against Brooks in the ONE Fight Night 15 main event. ‘The Passion’ was outplayed for most of the five-round fight due to the American’s grappling skills, leading to the latter emerging victorious by unanimous decision.

Over a year later, Pacio will have the opportunity to regain his throne when he faces Brooks in a rematch on March 1 in the ONE 166: Qatar co-main event. During an interview with ONE, the Filipino superstar had this to say about being prepared to avenge his defeat:

“In the grappling aspect, of course, Prof. Gibran Langbayan (Lions Nation MMA’s grappling coach) is here to help. Plus, he brought his younger brother, Godwin, with him. Godwin is one of the best jiu-jitsu practitioners in the Philippines and is part of the national sambo team. That’s all I can say right now. The rest is top secret.”

ONE 166: Qatar goes down inside the Lusail Sports Arena at Lusail Sports Arena. The event can be seen live and for free by North American viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

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Joshua Pacio plans to avoid being wary in Jarred Brooks's rematch

Joshua Pacio is known for being an aggressive striker who always searches for a finish. Yet, he couldn’t fully show that against Jarred Brooks, as he was focused on defending the American’s takedowns instead of executing his game plan.

During an interview with Qabayan Radio 94.3, Pacio had this to say about ensuring he doesn’t make the same mistake in the rematch:

“I’m just going to keep throwing my combinations and won’t be as wary as I was with my opponent’s takedown attempts.”

In October 2023, Pacio fought for the first time since losing against Brooks, defeating Mansur Malachiev by unanimous decision. Pacio now looks to add another legacy-defining moment to his resume by taking out Brooks.

Pacio has the experience and skills to regain the ONE strawweight MMA world title. With that said, he must be ready for a war, as Brooks has been unstoppable since joining ONE. ‘The Monkey God’ holds a 4-0 record, including two wins by submission.

Watch Pacio's entire recent interview below: