"I don't want to create a persona" - Joshua Pacio wants to stay true to himself for Jarred Brooks rubber match

Current ONE strawweight MMA world champion Joshua Pacio is firm in his decision not to respond to any smack talk that his rival Jarred Brooks is throwing at him ahead of their third meeting on Feb. 20 at ONE 171: Qatar.

Pacio and Brooks will co-headline the stacked event inside the Lusail Sports Arena, and before they cross paths again, the former was interviewed by ONE Championship, where he was asked if he expects more trash talk from the ONE interim strawweight MMA world champion.

'The Passion' responded by saying:

"It's all good. He's a professional. It's a fight business. If he wants to sell a fight, then so be it. As for me, I just want to show who I am. I don't want to create a persona just to sell a fight. God put me on this platform and that's what I want to showcase."

The Filipino MMA megastar experienced a lot of banter from 'The Monkey God' during the build-up to their first two previous meetings.

They have an even 1-1 head-to-head score, as Brooks won their first match in December 2022 at ONE 164, but Pacio got one back in March 2024 at ONE 166: Qatar with a disqualification victory.

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Joshua Pacio is eager to display his evolution as a fighter in his trilogy match with Jarred Brooks at ONE 171: Qatar

Almost a year after their last match, the Lions MMA Nation athlete is ready to showcase all his improvements during this stretch, proclaiming that it will be his passport to another level.

The 29-year-old mentioned this during the same interview with the world's largest martial arts organization:

"This fight will certainly show how I'll grow into that next level, and that starts with my training up until the final buzzer."

Fans can watch all the action live at ONE 171: Qatar via watch.onefc.com. The exciting event inside the Lusail Sports Arena.