Jarred Brooks takes DQ loss in stride: 'I'm moving on from it' | ABS-CBN

ADVERTISEMENT

dpo-dps-seal
Welcome, Kapamilya! We use cookies to improve your browsing experience. Continuing to use this site means you agree to our use of cookies. Tell me more!

Jarred Brooks takes DQ loss in stride: 'I'm moving on from it'

Jarred Brooks takes DQ loss in stride: 'I'm moving on from it'

ABS-CBN News

Clipboard

Former ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks would have wanted to walk out of ONE 166: Qatar with the 26-pound gold belt still hoisted around his shoulder, but it just wasn’t meant to be.

Brooks lost his belt by disqualification after slamming Joshua “The Passion” Pacio on his head in their clash inside Lusail Sports Arena earlier this month.

He was heated upon learning that he was disqualified, but Brooks calmed down once he saw the replay and realized how dangerous the slam was.

Asked if he feels like ONE Championship’s global rule set is strict, the American said he sees where the promotion is coming from.

ADVERTISEMENT

“It would’ve been great to celebrate that win, but at the same time, watching the video, going back while they put it in slow motion, I can definitely see why ONE Championship does that (making spiking illegal),” he said.

“That’s okay man, I’m not biased to anything. If I lose, I understand. It’s something that I understand, I’m moving on from it.”

Brooks is now focused on winning his next fight, as the last time he experienced a loss, another one came right after. 

“Anytime that I lose, it’s in twos. So you best know I’m coming for literally everything in ONE Championship now,” he said.  

Brooks also clarified that he didn’t have any ill intent toward Pacio, and he hopes that everyone can move forward from the incident just like he and the Filipino have done. 

“I’ve had 42 fights and that has happened one time. I’ve definitely learned from that lesson. You’ve got to move on quick in life. That’s the big thing my mom and my dad have taught me. Obstacles will come in your way. I’ve had a pretty unlucky career as far as my losses go, and it’s pretty crazy,” he said.

“Every time, it’s God showing me that I need to be humble inside and outside. It’s a good learning experience, and learning from that makes me even stronger.”


RELATED VIDEO: 




ADVERTISEMENT

MMA: Pacio's decision to train with bigger fighters pays off vs. Brooks

MMA: Pacio's decision to train with bigger fighters pays off vs. Brooks

ABS-CBN News

Clipboard

Joshua Pacio ahead of his match against Jarred Brooks for the undisputed ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion at ONE 171 in the Lusail Sports Arena in Doha, Qatar on February 20, 2025. Handout/ONE ChampionshipJoshua Pacio ahead of his match against Jarred Brooks for the undisputed ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion at ONE 171 in the Lusail Sports Arena in Doha, Qatar on February 20, 2025. Handout/ONE Championship

MANILA -- While training for his highly-anticipated trilogy bout against Jarred Brooks, Filipino MMA star Joshua Pacio took a big risk that paid off in a major way.

Proving that practice makes perfect, Pacio put himself to the test during his sparring sessions. There, he was put in precarious positions and choked on a daily basis.

His regimen was rewarded when he defeated Brooks in co-main event of ONE 171: Qatar last Thursday at the Lusail Sports Arena in Doha, allowing him to unify the ONE Strawweight MMA World Title.  

The Lions Nation MMA representative endured relentless pressure from Brooks in the first round. He survived a bevy of chokes from the American before responding in kind in the second round with suffocating pressure of his own to get the TKO win. 

ADVERTISEMENT

For "The Passion," he wouldn’t have survived those submission attempts if he hadn’t been consistently choked by #2-ranked bantamweight MMA contender Stephen Loman during training sessions. 

"The D'arce [was] not actually close, maybe the guillotine and the last one [was] like 70 percent. But you know, there's a lot of guys choking me out in the gym. I've been there a hundred times in that position, and I know the feeling," he said. 

"I'm used to it. Imagine Stephen Loman choking me every day in the gym." 

Pacio had entered the bout as a massive underdog, but he never succumbed to self doubt.

"I'm confident in my training, in my preparation. Every position we studied in training camp, every position that Jarred [would] do to me. You know, lots of hours, we drilled it. Situational, we drilled it," he said. 

"My jiu-jitsu coach, my wrestling coach, we've been working on every position that Jarred [would] do. So I [was] very confident that wherever the fight [went], ground, stand up, I'd [be] very confident."

RELATED VIDEO:



ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

It looks like you’re using an ad blocker

Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker on our website.

Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker on our website.