Jarred Brooks reflects on ‘humility’ after DQ loss in rematch with Joshua Pacio

For Jarred Brooks, his rematch against Joshua Pacio at ONE 166: Qatar earlier this month brought forth a humbling realization.

The former ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion conceded that he learned his lesson in humility following an unfortunate finish in the highly anticipated bout.

“I definitely learned from that lesson. You got to move on quick in life. That’s a big thing that my dad and mom taught me,” Brooks told The MMA Superfan in an interview.

“Obstacles come your way. I’ve had a pretty unlucky career as far as my losses go. It’s pretty crazy. Every time, it’s God showing me that I need to be more humble.”

The anticipation was high as Brooks stepped into the Circle to defend his World Title against Pacio.

The matchup, however, took a shocking turn when “The Monkey God” inadvertently spiked the Filipino challenger’s head against the canvas while attempting a takedown.

The impact rendered Pacio unconscious, leading to Brooks’ disqualification in the first round.

Under ONE Championship’s Global MMA Rule Set, fighters can”t slam their opponents on the head, neck, or spine. Consequently, Pacio became the new ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion.

Reflecting on the events that transpired at the Lusail Sports Arena, Brooks expressed remorse for his actions.

“Right after they told me and I looked at the replay, I didn’t realize the severity of what it was. And I looked at the replay and then I slowed it down in the van on the way back to the hotel. And I was like damn, that was really bad,” he said.

“It wasn’t anything that I wanted to do to Josh. I mean, we are going out there to potentially kill one another, but I’m not going to sit there and try to take a man’s career, take a man’s life, and anything like that.”

Despite relinquishing the title in an unconventional manner, Brooks displayed sportsmanship by acknowledging Pacio as the rightful champion of the division.

“Joshua is a champion inside and outside the ring, just like me. That’s what makes our story plot so heavy and so thick,” he said.

Jarred Brooks hopes to run it back with Joshua Pacio soon

Looking ahead, Jarred Brooks expressed his desire to reclaim his throne atop ONE Championship’s strawweight MMA division.

“I think we should get this fight done right away. If Joshua’s good with his CT scans and everything in his neck, let’s give it two months. Do it while it’s hot because we have a lot of traction going on with Brooks vs. Pacio III. I think that would be huge,” he said.