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The loss that Filipino fighter Joshua Pacio absorbed from Jarred Brooks in 2022 served as a wake-up call for him and something he is looking to take cue from in their scheduled rematch next month.
Lions Nation MMA stalwart Pacio tries to regain the ONE strawweight MMA world title he lost to ‘The Monkey God’ in their first encounter when they touch gloves once again at ONE 166: Qatar on March 1.
The rematch is part of a packed card marking the first-ever live on-ground event of ONE Championship in Qatar, happening at the Lusail Sports Arena.
Joshua Pacio has made it known that he does not want a repeat of what happened against Jarred Brooks the first time and is making sure that come fight night he will be able to showcase his recalibrated game and come up with a win.
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He told The Peninsular Qatar in an interview:
“I lost in a fight that I didn’t even showcase my absolute best. I know the lapses I committed in the first fight, and in the rematch, I aim to rectify them.”
In their showdown in December 2022, ‘The Passion’ stood toe-to-toe against Brooks with his improved ground game and solid stand-up arsenal. The match went the full route, but he just could not get the nod of the judges as he slumped to defeat by decision.
Prior to losing the belt, the Filipino fighter successfully defended the ONE strawweight world title three times.
ONE 166 will air live on March 1 via global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.
Joshua Pacio prepares early for rematch with Jarred Brooks
To see his push to reclaim the ONE strawweight MMA world title through, Joshua Pacio made sure to start work for it early, even sacrificing part of his holidays.
‘The Passion’ is set to get a shot at regaining the world title he lost in 2022 in a rematch against current divisional king Jarred Brooks of the United States at ONE 166: Qatar, which is ONE Championship’s debut live on-ground event in the rich Arab country happening on March 1.
The two met in December 2022 in Manila, where Joshua Pacio lost the ONE strawweight MMA world title to ‘The Monkey God’ by unanimous decision.
Speaking to ONE Championship, the 28-year-old Baguio City, Philippines native shared how training has been for them in their camp and his approach to the rematch. He said:
“I know that I’m gonna be more focused this time around. I have this team to collaborate, and brainstorm with, that I can truly say and suggest certain routines with what I need for this next fight.”
Entering ONE 166: Qatar, Pacio is coming off a bounce-back win in his last fight in October, defeating Russian Mansur Malachiev by unanimous decision.
