"I think he’s trying to get in my head" - Team Lakay shares Joshua Pacio's response to Jared Brooks' Tagalog trash talk

Joshua Pacio has fought every possible contender who took a crack at his ONE strawweight world title, yet none of those fighters had the same mic skills as Jarred Brooks.

The UFC veteran arrived in ONE Championship in late 2021 and began to run his mouth in an attempt to set up a fight against the longtime champion.

Pacio, for his part, has been largely quiet during Brooks’ promos. The 26-year-old from the Philippines admitted that he’s not annoyed at Brooks and he’s more than happy to let the No.2 strawweight contender cut his promos, even after Brooks' controversial Tagolog trash talk.

In an Instagram post from his stable Team Lakay, Joshua Pacio was quoted as saying:

“I’m not annoyed with him. I understand what he’s doing. I understand the business side of this sport. I think he’s trying to get in my head.”

Brooks submitted Pacio’s Team Lakay stablemate Lito Adiwang in his first fight at ONE Championship in October 2021, immediately becoming a top contender in the strawweight division. The funny thing, though, is that Brooks and Adiwang have been nothing but amicable since their bout.

The 28-year-old is now 2-0 in ONE Championship. His last victory was a unanimous decision win over Hiroba Minowa in January 2022.

Another win and Brooks can finally get his coveted title shot. He first has to beat No.1 contender Bokang Masunyane at ONE: Eersel vs. Sadikovic on April 22 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

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Joshua Pacio is keen on paving the way for future fighters

Pacio is more than capable of hitting his promos on the microphone, but he admits he’d rather let his actions do the talking.

A first-time champion at 22 years old, Joshua Pacio knows how much of an impact he has on the next generation of fighters. ‘The Passion’ said he’s more focused on living by the principles of martial arts instead of getting into verbal exchanges.

Pacio further said:

“But no man, that’s your thing. Do your thing, and this is mine. I can’t do trash-talking because this is my personality. I’m setting an example for the next generation here in my country. It’s all about the core values of martial arts, so just do his thing, whatever he wants.”

Should Brooks move to 3-0 at ONE: Eersel vs. Sadikovic, fans will soon get to see the American mix it up with the champ on the mic.