Joshua Pacio says trilogy with Jarred Brooks in Qatar won’t be their final chapter: “I’m gonna see him more”

Win or lose, Joshua Pacio expects his iconic rivalry with Jarred Brooks to extend far beyond their highly anticipated trilogy fight this week.

Emanating from the Lusail Sports Arena on Thursday, Feb. 20, ONE 171: Qatar will see Pacio, the reigning ONE strawweight MMA world champion, put his gold on the line in a title unification clash with Brooks, the current interim champ.

Pacio and Brooks split their first two meetings with the latter coming out on top in their inaugural clash at ONE 164 in December 2022. On that night, 'The Monkey God' claimed the ONE strawweight MMA strap with a dominant decision victory over Pacio in Manilla.

15 months later, Pacio took back the title after Brooks was disqualified for spiking 'The Passion' onto the top of his head during an early takedown attempt at ONE 166 in Qatar last year.

Speaking with the Bangkok Post mere hours from fight night, Pacio said he believes that whether or not he beats Brooks on Thursday, their fiery feud will rage on far beyond ONE 171:

"Yes, of course. We’re still young, you know. I’m 29. I think he’s 31. And we’re still in the peak of our careers. So maybe three to four years, if I stay here in strawweight, maybe. But definitely I’m gonna see him more. Win or lose this Thursday, I’m gonna see him still."

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Joshua Pacio has been cautious in training while recovering from ACL surgery

For Joshua Pacio, it will be his first time competing inside the Circle since reclaiming the ONE strawweight MMA world title via DQ.

Though their encounter that night lasted less than a minute, Pacio tore his ACL which forced him to undergo surgery and sit on the sidelines for much of the last year. Speaking to The MMA Superfan, Pacio said:

"I’ve been more cautious in training. I’m cautious in such a way that I will not get injured again, but to say that I’m cautious in terms of doubting the positions I’m in is not accurate. I don’t have the mindset of not being able to bring out my 100 percent best in training or in fighting. I never had that."

With Pacio laid up, the promotion introduced an interim strawweight belt at ONE Fight Night 24 in August with Jarred Brooks facing Gustavo Balart.

'The Monkey God' secured an impressive first-round submission victory over Balart, setting the stage for one of the biggest trilogy fights in ONE Championship history.

ONE 171: Qatar will emanate from the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar on Thursday, Feb. 20. Head over to watch.onefc.com to learn more about how you can watch the event live.