Former multi-time ONE strawweight MMA world champion and ex-Team Lakay member ‘The Passion’ Joshua Pacio of the Philippines says he is coming into his highly anticipated rematch with reigning strawweight king ‘The Monkey God’ Jarred Brooks fully prepared.
Brooks defeated Pacio in December of 2022 to become the undisputed strawweight MMA world champion. Now, the two are set to run it back in a do-over this weekend.
Pacio is scheduled to challenge Brooks for the ONE strawweight MMA throne at ONE 166: Qatar, ONE Championship’s historic return to the Middle East.
The event broadcasts live from the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail, Qatar on Friday, March 1.
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Speaking to Qatari local Filipino radio station, Qabayan Radio 94.3, Pacio said he isn’t worried about what Brooks will bring to the table, and believes he has all the bases covered.
‘The Passion’ said:
“In any situation that will come out in the fight, we practiced and simulated it, and tried to come up with ways to counter it. I’m just so excited for this match.”
Whether or not that holds up, we will find out soon enough.
Joshua Pacio coming in prepared from Jarred Brooks’ ground game: “The rest is top secret”
How confident is Joshua Pacio heading to the ground against a world-class wrestler like Jarred Brooks? The 28-year-old says he is more than equipped with the skills necessary to hang with ‘The Monkey God’.
‘The Passion’ told Qabayan Radio:
“In the grappling aspect, of course, Prof. Gibran Langbayan (Lions Nation MMA’s grappling coach) is here to help. Plus, he brought his younger brother, Godwin, with him. Godwin is one of the best jiu-jitsu practitioners in the Philippines and is part of the national sambo team. That’s all I can say right now. The rest is top secret.”
ONE 166: Qatar broadcasts live on Friday, March 1, to existing Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada. Fans can catch all the action live and absolutely free. Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates on ONE Championship.