Lito Adiwang Promises Joshua Pacio Will Change His Approach in Rematch With Jarred Brooks at ONE 166 – “He Got Stuck Trying to…”

Lito Adiwang continued his charge in ONE Championship’s strawweight MMA ranks by securing a win over Danial Williams this past weekend, and he’ll have a keen eye focused on the weight bracket’s next big battle.

At ONE 166: Qatar on Friday, March 1, Jarred Brooks will defend the divisional crown against former titleholder Joshua Pacio in a heated rematch inside the Lusail Sports Arena. The show will be ONE’s first event in the Middle East, and it will be broadcast live and free for Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America.

Lito Adiwang is confident about Joshua Pacio’s strength

Lito Adiwang worked closely with Pacio at the famed Filipino gym Team Lakay leading up to his first meeting with Brooks at ONE 164 in December 2022, so he knows firsthand what worked and what didn’t for ‘The Passion’ last time out. Thus, he is able to make an educated guess about what the former World Champion will be looking to change in the upcoming rematch.

“In the first fight, I think we focused too much on Jarred’s strengths, and we forgot Joshua’s strengths. We were so focused on Jarred’s wrestling that we forgot to attack him and utilize our strength,” Adiwang told ONE in an interview.

He further added “I think that’s something that will change now entering this fight. Of course, they’ll try to stop Jarred’s wrestling, but if that’s not the case, Joshua can scramble on the ground, maybe find a submission, or force a stand-up.”

Adiwang understands the difference between Pacio and Brooks, however, he is sure that ‘The Passion’ will surprise everyone with his dominance in his upcoming fight.

Adiwang’s Insights on reclaiming the world title in Qatar

Pacio and Brooks battled through five intense rounds in their first encounter before ‘The Monkey God’ was declared the winner by unanimous decision thanks to his dominance on the ground. Both Adiwang and “The Passion” have left Team Lakay since then, and they now train at different stables. But the bond they built as teammates remains strong, and they continue to support each other.

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‘Thunder Kid’ wishes his friend well in his second meeting with Brooks, and he believes he knows what could help him reclaim the World Title in Qatar. “I feel like Joshua lacked a bit of push in his attacks in that fight. If we add that up, I believe he’ll take the win. We’ve seen that he can defend Jarred’s wrestling. I think he got stuck trying to defend. Now I see him attacking.”Adiwang said.

The fight between Pacio and Brooks promises a war. Nonetheless, what’s your opinion on their matchup? Tell us about it in the comments below.

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