Multi-time champ Joshua Pacio says taking Jarred Brooks out in world title trilogy will prove he’s “the best strawweight in the world”

It's for all the marbles the next time Joshua Pacio meets his archrival Jarred Brooks in the center of the Circle.

The pair of rivals will meet for the third and most climactic time for the undisputed ONE strawweight MMA world title at ONE 171 on February 20, 2025, in ONE Championship's return to Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar.

Ahead of his impending world title unification match, the reigning ONE strawweight MMA world champion said his third meeting against Brooks isn't just for undisputed gold.

Pacio said taking Brooks out in Qatar would undeniably make him the greatest 125-pounder on the planet.

In an interview with The MMA Superfan, Joshua Pacio said:

"Of course, I do. I want to prove that I am the best strawweight in the world."

Pacio and Brooks fought for the first time at ONE 164 when the Filipino star put the ONE strawweight MMA world title on the line against the American wrestling machine in Manila.

Brooks drew first blood when he scored a unanimous decision win to take the ONE strawweight MMA world title from Pacio at Mall of Asia Arena.

They then ran it back at ONE 166: Qatar this March at Lusail Sports Arena in a match that ended in a scary finish.

Pacio reclaimed the strawweight MMA throne after Brooks inadvertently spiked him on his head, forcing referee Herb Dean to disqualify 'The Monkey God' and hand 'Passion' the win.

Things will now hit their crescendo with Pacio finally getting cleared for competition after suffering a knee injury earlier this year and Brooks claiming interim world champion status.

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Joshua Pacio says he was surprised with the recent turn of events following his injury

It's not rare for fighters who suffered anterior cruciate ligaments to sit out an entire year. Still, Joshua Pacio was back to hard training after just a few months of recovery.

Pacio was even offered the trilogy fight against Jarred Brooks for the undisputed ONE strawweight MMA world title in the same country where they had their world title rematch.

In the same interview with The MMA Superfan, he said:

"For me as an athlete, I was really surprised at the span of time [of the clearance and the schedule to fight]. But I wasn’t surprised that it would happen in Qatar, because we know that one of the biggest markets there is the Filipinos."

Watch Pacio's entire interview below: