Jarred Brooks-Joshua Pacio World Title Rematch Set For ONE 166: Qatar
Reigning ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks is ready to make his first World Title defense, and it comes against a familiar rival.
The American star will put his gold on the line against former strawweight MMA king and current #1-ranked contender Joshua “The Passion” Pacio in a must-see World Title rematch at ONE 166: Qatar.
That event, which marks ONE Championship’s on-ground debut in the Middle Eastern country, broadcasts live from Lusail Sports Arena on Friday, March 1.
After trading barbs on social media for several months, the two finally had their initial encounter at ONE 164 in December 2022.
That night in Manila, Philippines, Brooks displayed incredible tactical awareness. The outspoken American mixed his powerful wrestling with an evolving striking repertoire to earn a unanimous decision victory over Pacio, taking his coveted ONE Strawweight MMA World Championship in the process.
Brooks, who owns a 20-2 (1 NC) record and stands unbeaten across four MMA fights in the world’s largest martial arts organization, has the ability to become a longtime strawweight king. But first, he’ll need to prove that his win over the Filipino stud was no fluke.
For his part, the 27-year-old Filipino has already established himself as one of the division’s greatest fighters. In fact, Pacio is a five-time ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion, having held the belt more than anyone else in history.
After the loss to Brooks in December 2022, Pacio made some pivotal changes. He left his longtime gym home, Team Lakay, traveled with Eduard Folayang to train at the world-famous Jackson Wink MMA Academy in the United States, and eventually co-launched Lions Nation MMA.
Then, “The Passion” returned to the win column by handing previously undefeated Russian phenom Mansur Malachiev his first loss at ONE Fight Night 15 this past October.
Now the strawweight MMA division’s #1-ranked contender, that victory earned Pacio another crack at his old foe and a chance to regain the 26 pounds of gold he once proudly held.
And if their first battle was any indication, fans can expect an all-out war in this high-stakes rematch, as each athlete has undoubtedly continued to improve over the past year.
ONE Championship is pulling out all the stops for its first outing in Qatar, with five World Championship bouts planned for the mega-event on March 1. Stay tuned to onefc.com for all of the updates.
