“I started looking into Hanuman and Sun Wukong” - Jarred Brooks on the origin of the ‘The Monkey God’ nickname

Jarred Brooks had a tough time picking out the right moniker for himself. Fortunately, he found the one that personified him the most: the Indian deity “Hanuman” a.k.a “The Monkey God.”

Besides discussing his future showdown with Joshua Pacio, which takes place on December 3 at ONE 164, Brooks gladly explained the true origin of his nickname.

Speaking to Tim Wheaton from MMA Sucka, the American slugger said:

“I’m a huge fan of Sun Wukong, which is the Monkey King, and the Hanuman, which is the Monkey God. There was a wild time where I was like ‘should I call myself a god, like the Monkey God?’ but I started looking into Hanuman and Sun Wukong and I do have a lot of those personality traits. So if you study Sun Wukong and Hanuman, then watch me fight. It's pretty similar.”

Watch the full interview below:

Some sources argue that the popular Chinese demon Sun Wukong, was influenced by the Indian deity Hanuman since India and China have blended cross-culturally over multiple centuries.

Drawn from the Chinese novel, Journey to the West by Wu Cheng-en, ‘The Monkey King’ is a deity/demon who fell from Heaven’s grace. Defiant by nature, mischievous, cunning, and clever, he’s a warrior who flourishes by playing mind games on his allies and enemies. Despite all that, he’s also good-natured in spirit with a strong code of honor.

For Jarred Brooks, 'The Monkey God’ is more than just a name. He hopes to draw on its energy come fight night at ONE 164 in order to make his dreams a reality:

“It’s manifestation that’s what it is. If you’re manifesting the stuff that you want in your life, if it’s powerful, it takes a lot of responsibility, but at the end of the day that manifestation does come true.”

---

Jarred Brooks admits Joshua Pacio’s wrestling has improved but not enough to make him worry

Jarred Brooks is looking forward to testing out Joshua Pacio’s wrestling skills on December 3.

The American wrestler got wind of Pacio’s progression in the art of jiu-jitsu and wrestling through the media. Although he’s impressed, Brooks believes Pacio has a long way to go before reaching his level.

He told the South China Morning Post (SCMP):

“If he thinks the training partners he’s working with have the same kind of wrestling calibre that I do then they’re mistaken. Those guys do not have the wrestling prowess that I do, or the jiu-jitsu prowess. Everybody sleeps on my jiu-jitsu.”

Holding a record of 3-0, with two submissions and one decision under the ONE Championship banner, Jarred Brooks is one of the most dangerous wrestlers in the division. If Joshua Pacio doesn’t find a way to finish the match early on the feet, the fight could get ugly very quickly.