Jarred Brooks says focus should be on him as strawweight MMA kingpin and not "your kuya" Joshua Pacio

Reigning ONE strawweight MMA world champion Jarred Brooks surely knows how to get on the nerves of Filipino fans, as he recently took another swipe at the fanbase of his upcoming opponent, Joshua Pacio.

In his most recent interview with The MMA Superfan’s YouTube channel, Brooks is out to prove that he is the better fighter than Pacio by beating him again for the second time in their world title showdown on March 1 at ONE 166.

Ahead of their rematch inside the Lusail Sports Arena, ‘The Monkey God’ declared:

“I want to [silence the fans and naysayers] and prove to you guys that you should be focused on me and not your kuya.”

Brooks and Pacio are part of the loaded card in Qatar, where three world titles will be on the line in one event. Aside from the strawweight strap, the ONE middleweight and ONE featherweight MMA world titles will also be at stake.

Although the Mash Fight Team representative is coming off a defeat at the hands of ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci, he is still undefeated in MMA fights at ONE Championship since making his promotional debut in 2021.

Prior to that loss, Brooks captured the 125-pound golden belt by unanimously beating Pacio in their December 2022 meeting at ONE 164 in front of his home fans in Manila, Philippines.

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Jarred Brooks wants to close rivalry with Joshua Pacio in their impending rematch

With renewed energy and additional motivation from welcoming his firstborn in November 2023, Brooks is ready to finally put an end to the heated rivalry against his Filipino foe with a decisive victory.

A win for the 31-year-old American star could open more opportunities for him because he could face other top contenders in the division or explore other super fights in the higher weight classes on different rule sets.

ONE 166 is available live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.