Former ONE Strawweight World Champion Jarred Brooks has set aside his bitter rivalry to support Joshua Pacio’s historic bid for two-division glory.
The American believes his Filipino nemesis can make history by becoming the Philippines’ first-ever two-division MMA world champion at ONE 173: Superbon vs Noiri.
Pacio will challenge Japan’s Yuya Wakamatsu for the ONE Flyweight MMA World Title on November 16 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
The Lions Nation MMA star aims to add flyweight gold to his strawweight crown, further cementing his legacy as one of the greatest Filipino fighters of all time.
Brooks offered his backing for “The Passion”:
“I’m rooting for Pacio when he goes against Yuya Wakamatsu because I do think that he could beat him.”
The Brooks-Pacio rivalry stands as one of MMA’s most enthralling storylines, beginning when Brooks dethroned the beloved champion in front of the Filipino’s devastated Manila crowd in December 2022.
Pacio dramatically reclaimed his throne via controversial disqualification after Brooks executed an illegal slam in their March 2024 rematch.
The trilogy reached its devastating climax in Qatar in February 2025, with Pacio surviving a first-round mauling to mount one of combat sports’ most stunning comebacks – unifying the 125-pound belts with a brutal second-round TKO.
Despite their intense battles, “The Monkey God” has developed genuine respect for Pacio’s impact on Philippine MMA and role as a national hero. He added:
“I still have the same perception of Josh. I think that he’s a great champion. I think that he leads his people [well]. I think that to a young Filipino fan, Joshua Pacio was like Superman.
“Hats off to Josh, hats off to all of his team, acclimating and readjusting to whatever they needed to do to get that win.”
Brooks himself is making the leap to flyweight, facing Mansur Malachiev at ONE Fight Night 36 on October 3 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The 32-year-old views this as his route back to gold while leaving open the possibility of a fourth clash with Pacio in a new weight class. He said:
“I think that I would have to prove [I deserve another fight with him], because I know that Pacio ain’t gonna wanna go back down.
“He calls the shots now. He’s the strawweight king. But I know that he wants to fight with me because a lot of fans think that I’m the champion and still think that it’s 2-1 for me.”
Fight Game Asia 