ONE Championship: Jarred Brooks hits back at ‘ingenuine, fake’ Joshua Pacio, tells Team Lakay to ‘step in line’
- American Brooks says Filipino is in for a ‘rude awakening’ when they clash in ONE 164 main event on December 3 in Manila
- ‘I know they’re talking smack about me in their gym. I want Team Lakay to step in line and I can beat the hell out of them,’ he says
Jarred Brooks has hit back at Joshua Pacio ahead of their heated Manila main event, blasting the “ingenuine and fake” ONE Championship strawweight king – and telling Team Lakay to “step in line”.
The 29-year-old American challenges for the Filipino champion’s belt on December 3 at the Mall of Asia Arena, with their fight set to cap off a double header of events on ONE’s return to the Philippines after three years away.
Their rivalry has been heating up ever since “The Monkey God” Brooks beat Pacio’s teammate Lito Adiwang on his debut in November 2021.
“For him to say I’m not a mixed martial artist and I’m just a fighter, then he’s gonna be in for a rude awakening, because I have all assets down, he does not,” Brooks said.
“If anything, he is a wushu striker with a little bit of jiu jitsu. He’s gonna find out that I am actually the mixed martial artist in the strawweight division.”
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Pacio said he has been preparing for Brooks’ ground game by working with some of his Team Lakay stablemates Stephen Loman, Danny Kingad, Jeremy Pacatiw, and Jhianlo Sangiao – who all fight at higher weight classes in ONE.
“OK Josh, how many wrestlers are you going against in your camp?” Brooks said. “How many are you going to actually fly out to mimic me? I don’t think you’re gonna get too many people like that.
“Who do you have? Lito Adiwang? He had ACL surgery. I think you’re training with, um, what’s his name with the mullet? Yeah, you’re just training with Kevin Bellingham [Belingon, former bantamweight champion].
“I’ll beat Kevin Bellingham tomorrow, and he’s two weight classes above me. I think that you are in for a world of hurt.”
Pacio also criticised Brooks for his relentless trash talk, saying he “feels bad” Brooks needs to “make a name for himself”.
“It’s ingenuine and it’s fake,” Brooks said in response. “I know that deep down inside they’re in their gym, talking s*** about me constantly.
“I’m saying it to you guys – I want all of Team Lakay to step in line and come to that booth where I can just beat the living s*** out of them.”
Pacio also said the fans only watch Brooks to see him lose, and that he loves giving the fans what they want.
“I’m making people love you Josh, thank me for that,” Brooks said. “But at the end of the day, they’re gonna love me when I knock you out.
“I’m gonna have Filipino people saying I’m cold. I’m gonna have all of Asia saying I’m the best fighter in the world, and that comes from straight American muscle, that’s what we’re bringing.”
