Jarred Brooks had dominated the ONE Championship strawweight division in the lead-up to ONE 166: Qatar. However, his rematch against Joshua Pacio did not go as planned. The American lost the ONE Strawweight MMA World Championship by disqualification.
Class Act: Brooks and Pacio Share Breakfast after ONE 166 DQ
“The Monkey God” quickly took the back of the Filipino in the match, but Pacio defended well. As “The Passion” threatened Brooks with a kimura, Brooks slammed him to the mat. Unfortunately, Pacio went down head first and slams to the head and neck are banned under the Global Mixed Martial Arts Rule Set.
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It was a scary moment when the match ended, but Pacio did not suffer any significant injuries as a result. Perhaps one of the most concerned was Brooks himself. Although rivals, there is a lot of respect between the two athletes, and Brooks never wanted to harm his opponent in that manner.
A day after their tense title tilt inside the Circle, the two strawweights met up for breakfast. Brooks sat down with the Lions Nation MMA team and broke bread. While a rematch seems imminent, the two were able to share this special moment after their second encounter.
“My brother, I am so happy to see you and give you a big hug!! Glad to see you’re happy and healthy!! Congrats champ!! Had a good conversation and breakfast with Lions Nation MMA all great men,” Brooks wrote in an Instagram caption.
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Brooks has promised to be back better than ever. All three of his professional losses have been strange. Brooks has knocked himself out during a slam, been on the losing end of a controversial decision, and now disqualified.
Having never suffered a definitive loss, Brooks will still be right at the top of the division. The rematch with Pacio is needed sooner rather than later and will likely be booked as soon as Pacio is cleared. Until then, seeing the camaraderie and compassion between two of the sport’s best is nice.
