.png)
The rivalry between Jarred Brooks and Joshua Pacio is set to reach its climax as the two warriors battle for ONE Strawweight MMA World Title unification at ONE 171: Qatar on Thursday, February 20, inside Lusail Sports Arena. With each man holding a victory over the other, Brooks is eager to prove he is the undisputed king of the division—and he plans to do it emphatically.
Having claimed the belt from Pacio in December 2022 at ONE 164, Brooks dominated across five rounds to win the title. However, their ONE 166 rematch in Qatar last year ended in controversy when Brooks was disqualified for unintentionally spiking Pacio on his head, resulting in Pacio reclaiming the championship.
Now, with both fighters returning to Qatar for their third showdown, "The Monkey God" is determined to leave no doubt about who the true champion is.
"I want to get it done, first round. I’m gonna get it. No matter where the fight takes me, I’m going to evolve and I’m going to erupt through Joshua Pacio’s power, spirit, and physicality,” Brooks stated.
Since his disqualification loss, Brooks rebounded with an impressive submission victory over Gustavo Balart at ONE Fight Night 24 last August, securing the interim strawweight title. Now, he stands just one fight away from regaining his former glory.
With the controversial ending of their last encounter still fresh in the minds of fans, Brooks is determined to deliver a conclusive result in this much-anticipated trilogy bout.
"The last time that we were all in Qatar, a lot of crazy stuff happened. I think that we are definitely going to relinquish that kind of energy back into the Qatari fans and to the people that were watching the card last year,” Brooks said.
As the highly anticipated fight approaches, Brooks remains confident in his abilities and his status as the best strawweight fighter in the world.
"I think that you should be excited for my fight because I’m the best in the world at my weight class."
With both warriors carrying unfinished business into the cage, ONE 171: Qatar promises to deliver an explosive conclusion to their heated trilogy.