“I see him attacking” - Lito Adiwang believes former teammate Joshua Pacio will bring the fight to Jarred Brooks in Qatar

Lito Adiwang is confident former teammate Joshua Pacio has what it takes to flip the script when he faces Jarred Brooks the second time around.

Pacio has a chance to reclaim the ONE strawweight MMA world title when he takes on Brooks in the co-main event of ONE 166 on March 1 at Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar.

The two best strawweights on the planet collided in December 2022 in a heated world title matchup that saw Brooks leave Manila as the ONE strawweight MMA world champion.

Adiwang, in an interview with ONE Championship, said his former Team Lakay teammate was on the defensive for much of the contest, and that prevented Pacio from using his trademark dizzying offense.

Nevertheless, Adiwang believes the former strawweight MMA king will turn the tables in Qatar.

Lito Adiwang said:

“We’ve seen that he can defend Jared’s wrestling. I think he got stuck trying to defend. Now I see him attacking.”

Pacio earned his shot at his old world title when he dominated Russian standout Mansur Malachiev for the unanimous decision win at ONE Fight Night 15.

Although they were teammates for nearly half a decade, Pacio and Adiwang left the famed Team Lakay and joined separate gyms in 2023.

Pacio joined the newly formed Lions Nation MMA in Baguio City, while Adiwang left the Philippines entirely and is now under Soma Fight Club in Bali, Indonesia.

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Lito Adiwang ready for a firefight against Danial Williams

Although Lito Adiwang is keeping a close eye on his old friend’s next matchup, he’s also getting ready for a fight of his own.

Adiwang will face Thai-Australian star Danial Williams at ONE Fight Night 19 this Friday, February 16, at the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

‘Thunder Kid’ will look to extend his winning streak to three fights, but he knows a battle against Williams is as hard as any fight in ONE Championship.

In the same interview, Adiwang said:

“He’s dangerous. He’s not someone you should look over. I just need to overcome that, be confident. I need to believe that I’m better.”

ONE Fight Night 19 is ONE Championship’s second Amazon card of the year and is available live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.