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Former ONE strawweight MMA world champion Joshua Pacio will have the chance to regain his belt from the man who took it from him, Jarred Brooks, at ONE 166: Qatar on March 1. The much-awaited world title rematch will be part of ONE Championship's first-ever fight card in the beautiful country of Qatar.
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Their first dance happened in Pacio's backyard, in Manila, Philippines at ONE 164 in late 2022. After five rounds of nail-biting action, 'The Monkey God' ended the long-running world title reign of 'The Passion' via unanimous decision.
Speaking to Qatar-based Filipino radio station Qabayan Radio 94.3 on YouTube, Joshua Pacio candidly addressed his mindset leading to his rematch with Brooks:
“The challenges they’re saying is always the pressure. Of course, heading into this fight you have to be laser-focused. Leave all your problems first, focus on the fight, focus on the game plan, focus on the training camp, and on the hard work you’re putting in that I and my teammates did. That’s where my focus lies right now, no other challenge, no other pressure, but just be relaxed and focused.”
Watch the full interview here:
Joshua Pacio promises not to be "wary" against Jarred Brooks in the rematch
Speaking further with Qabayan Radio 94.3, 'The Passion' revealed what he will do differently once he locks horns again with ''The Monkey God' at ONE 166:
“I’m just going to keep throwing my combinations and won’t be as wary as I was with my opponent’s takedown attempts.”
In any combat sport, it's never a good thing to be tentative with your attacks. When a fighter hesitates in the ring, it's the perfect opportunity for the opponent to either clock him in the face or drag him down to the ground.
Joshua Pacio, in his first fight with Brooks, was seemingly hesitant to unload his full arsenal with the fear of getting taken down. This may have led to Brooks taking advantage of this flaw and repeatedly tagging and taking down the Filipino striker.
ONE 166: Qatar will air free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
