Joshua Pacio reveals initial game plan vs Jarred Brooks was to turn up the pressure in round 3: “I was prepared for five rounds”

ONE strawweight MMA world champion Joshua Pacio got to finish early American rival Jarred Brooks in their trilogy title fight last week in Qatar. He, however, said that he was ready to go the full route of five rounds if needed.

'The Passion' became the undisputed strawweight king after he stopped erstwhile interim champion Brooks by TKO in the second round of their unification match at ONE 171: Qatar on Feb. 20 at the Lusail Sports Arena. He bucked early trouble to come back and score a scintillating win, which he punctuated with a ferocious ground and pound.

In an interview with The MMA Superfan, Pacio admitted that the second-round finish was something he did not expect. He instead initially saw himself going five rounds against 'The Monkey God'.

The Lions Nation MMA standout said:

"We were really focused on it. I was prepared for five rounds. One of our game plans was to turn up the volume at round three, but round three wasn’t there yet."

The win at ONE 171 swung the lead to Joshua Pacio in his head-to-head matchup with Brooks in ONE Championship. He is now up, 2-1, winning two straight after losing in their first encounter in December 2022 in Manila.

The full replay of ONE 171: Qatar is available via watch.onefc.com.

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Boxing legend Manny Pacquaio congratulates Joshua Pacio for latest win

Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao was among those who congratulated Joshua Pacio for his impressive TKO win over Jarred Brooks at ONE 171: Qatar.

Boxing's only eight-division world champion took to social media to laud what the ONE strawweight king had accomplished, highlighting Pacio's hard work and dedication to his craft in achieving greatness.

In a video message shared by Filipino sports journalist JM Siasat on Facebook, Pacquiao said:

"Congratulations, Joshua Pacio! You have proven that Filipino warriors are built for greatness. Your hard work, dedication, and fighting spirit were on full display as you reclaimed the ONE strawweight world championship. Your second-round TKO victory over Jarred Brooks is a testament to your skill, perseverance, and unwavering heart."

He went to say:

"The entire Philippines is proud of you, and I have no doubt that this is just the beginning of an even greater legacy. Keep inspiring the next generation of Filipino fighters. Mabuhay ka!"

The win at ONE 171 marked a successful return for Pacio after undergoing knee surgery that kept him out for much of last year.