“I want to prove that” - Jarred Brooks eagerly awaits trilogy fight with rival Joshua Pacio for strawweight MMA throne

Excitement for ONE Championship’s long-awaited debut in Qatar on March 1 was at a fever-pitch due to the inclusion of a rivalry bout nearly two years in the making between Jarred Brooks and Joshua Pacio.

Brooks, the reigning ONE strawweight MMA world champion, and ‘The Passion’ were set to duke it out once more inside the Lusail Sports Arena to prove once and for all who is the king of the 125-pound MMA division.

A minute into their world championship clash, however, tragedy struck as ‘The Monkey God’ inadvertently slammed the Lions Nation MMA fighter head and neck first into the canvas, an illegal move under the promotion’s Global MMA Rule Set.

The bout was subsequently ruled a disqualification win in favor of Pacio, making him a three-time king of the division. He also escaped a potentially career-ending injury with only a neck sprain after an overnight stay in the hospital.

With such a damper ending to their rematch, Brooks is joining in Pacio and the fans’ desires to have a trilogy bout via Instagram:

“I’m ready when @joshuapacio says [so]. @yodchatri told me after a fight he doesn’t want me to be another Jonny Hendrix, he wants me to be a reigning champion, and I want to prove that.”

Joshua Pacio and Jarred Brooks leave their rivalry inside the ONE Circle

Despite the two stars continuously jostling for position atop the strawweight MMA division, they proved that being a pro also includes having respect for one’s opponent, with Brooks breaking bread with Pacio and his team over breakfast.

Pacio shared in a recent interview that a teary-eyed Brooks told him that he was glad he avoided a major injury and had no discussions about a trilogy, making it all about having mutual respect for one another.