“Never doubt the living God that I serve” - Joshua Pacio credits unyielding faith for incredible come-from-behind title win vs. Jarred Brooks

Joshua Pacio never lost faith after an incredibly rough start to his strawweight MMA world title unification bout with Jarred Brooks in the curtain closer of ONE 171: Qatar on Feb. 20.

'The Monkey God' secured a takedown seconds into the fight and proceeded to impose his signature overwhelming pressure on his Filipino rival.

The interim champ dropped heavy ground and pound and threatened Pacio with multiple submission attempts.

At one point, it appeared Brooks was going to submit 'The Passion' with a deep arm-in guillotine. Somehow, some way the resilient Pacio escaped and made it to the second round.

The rest, as we now know, will go down as one of the greatest comebacks in MMA history.

Joshua Pacio stormed back in round two, turning the tables by getting top position and raining down hellfire on his hapless rival for the TKO victory and a $50,000 performance bonus.

In his in-ring interview with Mitch Chilson, Pacio credited a higher power for allowing him to achieve what seemed improbable:

"I’m speechless. But, really, I’ve been through a lot this year. You know, people doubted me. But I tell you, never doubt the living God that I serve. I just wanna tell you that God has blessed me, you know."

Joshua Pacio has been through hell and back after recovering from a devastating knee injury. Now, the 29-year-old warrior can truly say he's the undisputed king of the 125-pound MMA division.

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Joshua Pacio says Jarred Brooks seemed off in their grudge match

Needless to say, Joshua Pacio knows Jarred Brooks all too well after their intense rivalry.

The Lions Nation MMA representative admitted he was gearing up for another five-round war with his American nemesis. Surprisingly, though, the usually durable Brooks faded in round two after emptying the tank in the opening stanza.

Pacio hinted that 'The Monkey God' likely dealt with something personal before the match. 'The Passion' told Mitch Chilson:

"Honestly, I'm ready to go full five rounds with Jarred. But I know there was something wrong with him."

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