Jarred Brooks can’t wait to defend his ONE Strawweight MMA World Title. He’s on a mission to take out arguably the biggest threat to his reign. While no date is set yet, ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong has confirmed that ‘The Monkey God’ and former titleholder Joshua Pacio will figure in a rematch for the coveted crown in the coming year.
In their initial encounter at ONE 164 in December 2022, Brooks ended Pacio’s dominant reign atop the division in a five-round war.
Joshua Pacio takes a dig at Jarred Brooks
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
In an interview with combat sports reporter Nick Atkin, the Mash Fight Team representative had some strong words for his rival. “Josh, I know that you’ve been tearing at the bit to get your belt back. But I’ve been here with my baby, and I’m just chilling, so I hope you’re doing good in the Philippines with your crappy TV. I’m going to be just over here hanging with my baby. When we do fight, I’m going to bury you, my brother. I’m going to bury your name real quick and then move on to bigger names,” Pacio said.
So far, ONE has announced two major events for 2024. They are – ONE Fight Night 18: Superlek vs. Mahmoudi on U.S. primetime and ONE 165 in Japan set for January 28. Moreover, the promotion will also mount its first event in Qatar next year, which is expected to feature multiple World Titles on the line.
Recent performances of Joshua Pacio and Jarred Brooks
The American star has yet to defend his crown, though he saw action in ONE in 2023. There, he stepped in to challenge Mikey Musumeci for the ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Championship in August.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Despite falling short in that battle, Brooks showed an impressive ground game and put up a decent fight against the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu phenom. Meanwhile, ‘The Passion’ bounced back from losing the World Title by taking out previously undefeated powerhouse Mansur Malachiev at ONE Fight Night 15 in October. With the win, Pacio cemented his spot atop the divisional rankings and secured his rematch with Brooks.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Read More – Jared Brooks Believes He Can Beat Mikey Musumeci but Under 1 Condition
With the fierce rivalry between Brooks and Pacio, it won’t be surprising to see their match headline one of the events confirmed for 2024.