Joshua “The Passion” Pacio exorcised past demons with an impressive display of resilience and patience, knocking out his longtime rival, Jarred "The Monkey God" Brooks, to unify the ONE Strawweight MMA World Title at ONE 171: Qatar on Thursday night at the Lusail Sports Arena.
The much-anticipated trilogy came full circle after their controversial rematch in March last year, also in Qatar, where Brooks was disqualified for slamming Pacio on his neck. This time, however, it seemed destiny had already chosen its winner.
The much-anticipated trilogy came full circle after their controversial rematch in March last year, also in Qatar, where Brooks was disqualified for slamming Pacio on his neck. This time, however, it seemed destiny had already chosen its winner.
I am speechless. Pacio said after the fight. I have been through a lot this year. People doubted me, but I never doubted God.
The fight started with a tense first round, where Pacio narrowly escaped a deep guillotine choke after spending nearly the entire five-minute frame on the defensive. However, fueled by the energy of the roaring crowd, the Filipino came out in the second round with renewed aggression.
Seizing his moment, Pacio landed a powerful punch on Brooks, taking him down before unleashing a relentless barrage of strikes that forced the referee to step in and stop the fight.
I was confident in my training and preparation. During camp, we studied every possible position Jared might use. We put in countless hours of drilling scenarios with my jiu-jitsu and wrestling coaches, so I felt ready wherever the fight went.
It's just a relief for me, because a lot of people doubted me, saying I can’t do it. At the end of the day, I'm just very focused on winning and training. I've been through a lot because of the injuries but now, I feel so much joy and happiness..
With this victory, Pacio improved his record to 23-4, settling the trilogy with a 2-1 series win over Brooks. The Filipino fighter also took home a US$50,000 performance bonus.