“It’s a super sloppy technique” - Jarred Brooks surprised Mansur Malachiev clocked Joshua Pacio with the Filipino’s own signature move

Rivalries make for good fights, and with ONE Championship headed to the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar on March 1, heated rivals Jarred Brooks and Joshua Pacio meet once again for the ONE strawweight MMA world championship.

Pacio bounced back from his world title loss to Jarred Brooks when he dominated Mansur Malachiev last October, a showcase of his much-improved skillset.

Known for his striking capabilities, ‘The Passion’ brandished a more polished ground game against the Russian fighter and even threatened a guillotine choke at multiple points in the contest, with the third-round submission almost putting Malachiev to sleep.

However, Pacio was blindsided by a spinning backfist that the Filipino star had become popular for, but bounced back to pull away with a unanimous decision win.

Brooks revealed his surprise at Pacio getting caught with Malachiev’s spinning attack in an interview with The MMA Superfan:

“Well, all of those Russians hit spinning techniques, and it's a super sloppy technique and I think the reason why Mansur hit that was because he is sloppy.”

Watch the full interview with Jarred Brooks below:

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Fans split on Brooks vs. Pacio rematch

ONE Championship sought to get a feel for the fans’ expectations coming into ONE 166 and thanks to both fighters sporting extremely passionate fanbases, there is no indication that fans are leaning heavily towards either side.

It can even be argued that both Brooks and Pacio are in need of a win come March 1. The former will want to strengthen his hold on the division, while the latter is aiming to prove that he can overcome his first defeat.

ONE 166 is available live and free on Prime Video in the United States and Canada.