Joshua Pacio reveals the turning point ‘no one would have noticed’ in come-from-behind KO of Jarred Brooks in Qatar

Joshua Pacio recalls the exact moment that everything changed in his title unification clash with Jarred Brooks.

After sitting on the shelf for nearly a year while nursing an ACL injury, Pacio returned to the Circle at ONE 171: Qatar in February and scored perhaps the biggest win of his mixed martial arts career.

After spending most of the opening round defending submission attempts from 'The Monkey God,' Pacio delivered an onslaught of strikes in the second, forcing referee Herb Dean to step in and call for the stoppage, crowning Pacio the undisputed ONE strawweight MMA world champion.

Looking back on the history-making victory, Pacio believes that one well-timed punch changed everything that night.

"Well, the core of our game plan was body shots and create the angles. In the first round - and this is a very small detail no one would have noticed - he attacked me and threw a jab-straight combination, I think," Pacio told The MMA Superfan. "I adjusted with a semi-right step and threw a hook. The hook got him, my whole fist was caught by his face."

He added:

"I saw that the look on his face changed. That’s when I felt like 'Hey, I hit him.' It changed his pace and boosted my confidence. Like I told Mitch before, I will let my hands go this time. But he went for a takedown, so I wasn’t able to showcase more of my boxing."

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Joshua Pacio on two-division championship success: "Why not?"

While Joshua Pacio has not yet contemplated what comes next following his come-from-behind TKO over Jarred Brooks, 'The Passion' certainly isn't ruling anything out — including a potential shot at two-division glory.

"But if I am given the chance to fight for the flyweight belt, why not? But for me, it’s not the main priority," Pacio said when asked about moving up to claim another 26 pounds of gold.

As interesting as it would be to see Pacio move up, there are plenty of contenders lining up for him at strawweight. Mansur Malachiev and Bokang Masunyane have both established themselves as viable title challengers, while division standouts Keito Yamakita and Sanzhar Zakirov continue to climb up the ranks with each performance.

Who would you like to see Pacio face when he makes his return to the Circle?

If you missed any of the action, you can watch the full ONE 171: Qatar replay on demand via watch.onefc.com.