CHALLENGE. ONE strawweight world champion Joshua Pacio gets his hands full when he defends his title against the trash talking Jarred Brooks on June 3. ONE Championship photo
The highly anticipated match – up between ONE strawweight world champion Joshua Pacio and challenger Jarred Brooks finally gets a green light as both fighters clash in the main event of One Championship 158 on June 3.
Rich Franklin, vice - president of ONE announced the thrilling event which will be broadcasted live at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
“Both of these guys have the gas for five rounds, and this one is personal. Brooks could become the Lakay killer, but Pacio has plans to put Brooks’ trash talking to an end,” Franklin said.
Pacio is on a four-fight win streak, with his latest victory coming from a first-round technical knockout over #5-ranked Yosuke Saruta of Japan last September while Brooks joined ONE Championship in October of 2021, and has since won three straight in the promotion.
Brooks recently won against former top-ranked strawweight Bokang Masunyane last April.
Pacio comes from the famed Team Lakay, with their wushu style they bring to MMA and only had one loss in four-and-a-half years, when [Yosuke] Saruta took his belt.
Avenging that loss and regaining the world title several months later, he finally capped that trilogy last year proving to be the undisputed champ.
Brooks is on a six-fight win streak with wins over some of the division’s toughest, including Pacio’s teammate Lito Adiwang. Brooks’ aggressive style in the ring is matched by the trash talking lyrics of pre-fight rap.
“Philippines, we have the strawweight belt here in our beloved country. Soon, we’ll need to defend it against Jarred Brooks of the United States. I need your support and love to keep what is ours. This is Joshua Pacio, your champion, laban natin itong lahat (This is our fight),” said Pacio.
Brooks meanwhile said he has been looking forward to meet Pacio in the cage and test his mettle against the best strawweight of the promotion.
“Challenging for the world title in the best organization in the world is a dream come true. I’ve been thinking, sleeping and breathing the fight game for my entire life. And to win the belt would mean more than life itself. While I do think Joshua has some really great capabilities, I don’t think he has the same heart as me. He doesn’t have the same will and determination to win that I have. I will be the next ONE Strawweight World Champion, and my prediction is that I'm going to submit Pacio in the first or second round,” added Brooks. SCORE
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