ONE Championship: Joshua Pacio congratulates Jarred Brooks, warns him ‘I’ll see you soon’
- ‘Every setback is a set-up for a greater comeback,’ former strawweight MMA champ says after losing belt in Manila
- American Brooks is open to an immediate rematch, but this time on his turf when ONE makes its US debut in May
Joshua Pacio has broken his silence after losing his strawweight MMA title to Jarred Brooks at ONE Championship 164 in Manila at the weekend.
The American “Monkey God” Brooks took the belt with a unanimous decision at the Mall of Asia Arena after five tough rounds.
“All is well,” Pacio – who did not speak to the media backstage after his loss – wrote in an Instagram post.
“We didn’t get the win last Saturday but I thank God I learned a lot and saw what to improve more as an athlete. What I love about this sport is it is continuous learning and levelling up and that’s what I aim to do. I’ll be back stronger, smarter and more dangerous.
“Thank you to my team and to all my coaches. sponsors, supporters, family and friends. To ONE Championship and Chatri [Sityodtong, CEO], thank you for the opportunity to showcase our skills again.
“To Jarred, thank you for the experience brother and for making me level up again, congratulations to you and I’ll see you soon. Every setback is a set-up for a greater comeback.”
In a post-fight interview with the Post, Brooks entertained the idea of giving Pacio and immediate rematch – but this time on American soil, when ONE makes its on-ground debut in the US on May 5 at 1stBank Centre in Denver, Colorado.
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He reiterated those sentiments in a reply to a response from Pacio on his own social media post.
“Congratulations brother,” Pacio wrote. “All respect, you made me a better athlete and I promise I’ll be better next time. Enjoy the well deserved win. I’ll see you again.”
“Yes sir, looking forward to it, rest up champ,” Brooks said.
