Jarred Brooks admits that losing the strawweight MMA world title in the manner that it did is still a tough pill to swallow.
'The Monkey God' would have graciously accepted defeat had Joshua Pacio bested him at ONE 166: Qatar. Unfortunately for the American, it was a split-second error that sent his entire world crumbling down.
As the world knows by now, Brooks inadvertently spiked 'The Passion' on his head following a powerful slam, which warranted an immediate disqualification.
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The pain still lingers almost four months later, but Brooks revealed that his strong faith has helped him cope with the challenging predicament.
In an interview with the South China Morning Post, the 31-year-old shared how the Book of Job allowed him to come to terms with it all.
"In your whole life, you get things taken away from you. I don't want to seem like a bible thumper or anything, but Job is a very good story. Understanding that and how God can take away from you and you are still sticking with the pain and understanding and trying to find good direction, and trying to keep a good mindset through all the sh*t that you dig through."
Watch Jarred Brooks' full interview, here:
Jarred Brooks says capturing interim belt is the first step to redemption
As Jarred Brooks patiently waits for Pacio to heal from his knee injury, he'll still have an opportunity to reclaim 26 pounds of gold.
'The Monkey God' will lock horns with the third-ranked Gustavo Balart in the main event of ONE Fight Night 24 on August 2, live in US Primetime.
For Brooks, this opportunity moves him one step closer to redeeming himself. The Mash Fight Team standout told Sportskeeda MMA:
"I want to gain the interim gold and I'm ready to put it on the line against anyone before Joshua Pacio comes back."
ONE Fight Night 24 will emanate from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. This event is free for Prime Video subscribers in North America.