Joshua Pacio believes Jarred Brooks would have beaten Reece McLaren with a full camp: "He could have a better chance"

ONE strawweight MMA world champion Joshua Pacio believes Jarred Brooks could have enjoyed a different night out in his flyweight debut against Reece McLaren earlier this month.

The interim strawweight king came up short in his flyweight MMA joust at ONE Fight Night 26 earlier this month. He to No.4-ranked McLaren by split decision.

Despite starting strong, the Mash Fight Team athlete was forced to miss more than he could connect against the Australian standout as the fight progressed.

'Lightning' wrapped up the tie with more accurate strikes and threw in a final D'Arce choke attempt just before the end of the third round for his second successive win in the promotion.

Pacio, however, admits the plot could have unfolded differently if 'The Monkey God' was given more time to adjust to fighting in a new weight bracket. Speaking to The MMA Superfan, the 28-year-old shared:

"No, that's not the best Jarred Brooks that I've seen. Well, I think formulating a game plan against a ranked flyweight fighter in the world on three weeks' notice is not easy. So give Jarred Brooks a full camp, and I think he could have a better chance to take the win."

Watch the full interview here:

Joshua Pacio and Jarred Brooks have some history together in the organization. The pair have crossed paths twice, with the scores currently tied at one apiece.

Brooks unseated Pacio from the throne with an outstanding all-around display at ONE 164 in December 2022 in Manila, Philippines.

The Lions Nation MMA athlete, meanwhile, registered a victory under different circumstances when they ran it back at ONE 166: Qatar in March this year. 'The Monkey God' was disqualified in the world title tilt after accidentally spiking the Filipino warrior on the back of his head at the 56-second mark.

Given the anti-climactic ending, both men are eager to cross paths for the third time. Thankfully, It won't be long until they renew their rivalry on the global stage.

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Jarred Brooks-Joshua Pacio unification war locked in for ONE 171: Qatar

The promotion confirmed its return to Qatar on Feb. 20 earlier last week, which will host Joshua Pacio and Jarred Brooks' hotly anticipated trilogy showdown.

Joshua Pacio has been out with an injury he sustained during training since his last appearance under the ONE banner.

During that time, top-ranked Brooks claimed the ONE interim strawweight MMA world title with a first-round submission win over Cuban Olympian Gustavo Balart at ONE Fight Night 24.

The pair's scheduled five-round unification matchup is one of two world title matchups confirmed for ONE 171: Qatar inside the Lusail Sports Arena.

In the main event, ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Jonathan Haggerty defends his gold against top-ranked 'Demon Blade' Wei Rui of China.