Wish granted: Joshua Pacio rematches Jarred Brooks at ONE 166: Qatar

For Joshua Pacio, the road to redemption has led him back to the man who took his ONE Strawweight MMA World Championship over a year ago — Jarred Brooks.

Both men will run it back with 26 pounds of gold on the line at ONE 166: Qatar. The event is set to take place at the Lusail Sports Arena in Doha on March 1.

The rivalry began in December 2022 when they clashed in a memorable encounter that saw Brooks emerge victorious by unanimous decision to overthrow Pacio from his throne atop the division.

As Brooks prepares for his first title defense, the stakes are higher than ever.

In the rematch, “The Monkey God” faces the challenge of proving that his initial victory over the Filipino star was no fluke.

Joshua Pacio embraced change after losing to Jarred Brooks

For Joshua Pacio, the loss to Brooks was a turning point that sparked significant changes in his career.

Departing from his longtime stable, Team Lakay, “The Passion” embarked on a transformative journey.

Alongside Eduard Folayang, they flew to the United States to train at the world-renowned Jackson Wink MMA Academy.

This transformative period culminated in the establishment of Lions Nation MMA, a team that Pacio and Folayang co-founded along with former ONE World Champions Kevin Belingon and Honorio Banario.

Pacio’s resilience and commitment to improvement were on full display when he returned to action this past October. There, he prevailed over previously undefeated Russian phenom Mansur Malachiev, reaffirming his position as the #1 contender.

His quest for redemption reaches its climax as he aims to reclaim the gold-plated strap he once proudly wore around his waist.