- George Chung
- Feb 27, 2024
- 3 min read
At ONE 166: Qatar, Jarred Brooks will see Joshua Pacio standing across from him once again. Only this time, he is the ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion.
In his first defense of the gold on Friday, March 1, ONE Championship's strawweight king is sure he has his familiar foe figured out.
"I'm not looking past Joshua. I know that he's hunting back and he has always done well on his rematches, but I have that in my head as well. Like, I'm not dumb. I already know what this guy is going to be coming with," Brooks told ONE.
"He's going to try to work on his weight cut. He's going to try to work on his angles. He's going to be more aggressive, but I'm ready for that. I've been training for that the whole time."
Pacio earned his title shot by defeating Mansur Malachiev in 2023. Pacio got to briefly showcase his improved grappling, a crucial tool he will need to take back the title. However, Brooks was less than impressed and thinks the outcome will be the same in the rematch.
"I see that he's trying to be more explosive on the entries. I'm always changing angles and moving, so I know he's gonna be trying to hit like threes with me. So it's a different stylistic opponent when you're going against somebody for the second time," Brooks stated.
"So I think that Josh is going to be trying to hit three-punch combinations, and I think that's gonna go against everything that he was working on in that last fight. So I think he's necessarily screwed either way."
If there is any point of emphasis for the American star, it is proving he has finishing abilities.
"The Monkey God" has all the tools to end the bout standing or on the ground. He wants to add to his highlight reel and cash a performance bonus check for his newborn daughter.
"I'm there to get a $50,000 bonus for the first time. Even though I have two finishes against two top-five opponents, I'm there for it. For more than just money, though, I'm there for my belt, and I'm there to go out and provide for my daughter and my family," Brooks confessed.
"I want it to be quick. I want it to be swift. And I want it to surprise him and surprise all of the people in Qatar and surprise Chatri that I actually have a really big knockout power for the size that I am."
After running through the strawweight division, Brooks is already beginning to eye greater challenges. At the top of his list is one name — Demetrious Johnson.
After chasing "Mighty Mouse" for years, Brooks finally feels that match is near. Johnson needs a challenger for his gold and Brooks has taken care of business at strawweight. The stage could be set for a meeting between the U.S. stars.
"I want Demetrious Johnson. I mean, who is he going to fight? Yuya Wakamatsu? Who is he going to fight? You know, the people that he's already beat are in the top five. Nobody wants to see that," the ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion said.
"So I think that it's going to be a very interesting fight, especially at Demetrious' age, and I'm not even using that as [an excuse]. Because I do think that I could beat Demetrious Johnson five years ago, where I'm at."
"And I think that I can prove it when I go against Joshua Pacio. Everybody might laugh and might think that it's a fallacy. But I don't think that is in my head. I know that Demetrious Johnson is somebody that I can capitalize on. I've been studying him for years and I don't think that he's ready for somebody to bring a quiet storm like me."
Regardless of what comes next, Brooks is extremely confident he will get his arm raised. That motivation stems from his daughter giving him renewed focus ahead of ONE 166.
"I think that all of my opponents, they need to watch out because, you know, you hear this crying baby in the background, and she is the biggest thing to me," Brooks warned his future opponents.
"I am so ready to rip all of your heads off and get that money for my baby just to get her some food and to make sure that she has the best life possible. I'm gonna get college tuition paid for her through all of your guys's heads. I appreciate you. I love you. But it's got to happen."
ONE 166 airs live and free on Prime Video on Friday, March 1. The action begins at 7:30 a.m. EST/4:30 a.m. PST.
