Jarred Brooks delivered a dominating performance at ONE Fight Night 24 against Gustavo Balart. ‘The Monkey God’ won the fight via submission in the first round, claiming the ONE Interim Strawweight MMA World Title. What followed was a callout to the current champion, Joshua Pacio, during his post-fight interview. In an interview with bjpenn.com, ‘The Passion’ issued a warning to his next opponent.

He said, “I heard him loud and clear. I’m doing my best in my recovery. I’m just here, Jarred. Wait for me, I’m not going anywhere, I’m committed to getting back to where I belong. I have no plans of sitting on the sidelines for long. A third fight against Brooks is exactly what I want. The thing between me and him is unfinished business. It needs to be settled, and I am determined to be the one to finish it.”  Let us inspect how the rivalry between the two started. 

Joshua Pacio and Jarred Brooks are desperate to settle things once and for all 

‘The Monkey God’ had a massive statement when he defeated the former Olympian, Gustavo Balart. ‘El Gladiador’ entered the fight high on confidence after winning his last four fights. However, the preparation and the planning of the former champion proved too much to handle for the Cuban wrestler. Brooks is now eyeing to reclaim the undisputed belt, which he lost in one of the most controversial manners. His next opponent will definitely be Joshua Pacio, who is currently nursing an ACL injury. 

The pair previously faced each other twice and the scores are currently leveled at 1-1. Their first clash took place in 2022, where ‘The Monkey God’ overthrew Pacio from his title convincingly. The Filipino superstar got his chance at redemption in March, but the fight ended in the most controversial manner. Brooks, after failing to submit his opponent, slammed him to the ground, which inadvertently dropped Pacio on his head.

The move led to a disqualification, and the belt being awarded to the Filipino. What followed was a lot of criticism for the former champion. However, ‘The Monkey God’ has silenced all his critics with a dominating performance in the recently concluded ONE Fight Night 24 event. Currently, there is no fixed date for ‘The Passion’ to return to action.

While Brooks will be patiently waiting for his title clash, it seems he has found himself a new opponent. Let us take a look at whom the 31-year-old wants to fight next. 

‘The Monkey God’ eyeing a clash with the legendary Demetrious Johnson next 

After successfully winning the interim title at ONE Fight Night 24, Jarred Brooks is high on confidence. Such is his confidence that he has shown his willingness to move up a division and fight Demetrious Johnson. The 37-year-old has been inactive in the MMA circuit since his last appearance at ONE Fight Night 10 in 2023. ‘Mighty Mouse’ is yet to announce his date of return, but Brooks is hoping to face him once in his career.

The 31-year-old has always been vocal regarding his feelings for the champion and considers himself as one of his biggest fans. ‘The Monkey God’ now sees his entrance into ONE Championship as a sign to face his idol at least once before he retires. Although he considers Johnson as the greatest, he still wants to test himself against the best.

The 31-year-old said, “I think it would be a great matchup between me and him. I’m somebody who tries to go up and beat the competition. I climb the mountains, and I’m not worried. I know that GOATS are really good at climbing mountains too, but I’m not afraid to try to chase a GOAT.” Brooks is trying hard to get the attention of the 38-year-old and is yet to get any response from him. 

Do you think ‘The Monkey God’ will face ‘Mighty Mouse’ once in his career? Let us know in the comments below.