ONE 171: Qatar – Jarred Brooks Aims To Finish Joshua Pacio, Become Undisputed Strawweight King

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Action, emotion, excitement, and drama - Joshua Pacio and Jarred Brooks' first two encounters had it all. Now, the pair will collide in a trilogy bout to determine who will reign supreme at ONE 171: Qatar.

On Thursday, 20 February, ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Pacio and interim king Brooks will unify belts at Lusail Sports Arena in Doha, the stage in which they will finally settle their intense rivalry.

Last year at the same venue, Brooks entered the arena to defend his crown, but an illegal slam on Pacio resulted in him losing the belt via disqualification. Since that unfortunate loss, the 32-year-old American has claimed the interim strap by defeating Gustavo Balart.

Now, Brooks is awaiting the moment to show the world that he is the true World Champion, and he certainly has a chip on his shoulder. The Mash Fight Team representative said fans are excited for this fight and Pacio's time on the throne is over.

"I think that this is a huge opportunity for me to bounce back and to show people I am a true champion and one of the best mixed martial artists in ONE Championship, if not any promotion in the world," Brooks said.

"People are excited to watch this trilogy bout and see who can bury the other person once and for all. I think that Joshua is an amazing person, an amazing mixed martial artist. He's had his championship run."

Brooks has been sensational in the strawweight MMA division since his ONE Championship debut in 2021. He took out three top stars to earn a shot against Pacio in December 2022. There, the American beat the Filipino hero on the latter's home turf to become the division's new World Champion.

After their second fight in 2024, Pacio underwent rehab for an ACL injury. He has been a mainstay in the division for a long time, so it won't be easy for Brooks to decimate him. But Brooks remains focused on securing the finish as early as possible.

"My goal is to get the finish very early," Brooks said. "I don't want to sit in there for too long. Everybody's dangerous that I fight now, so I want to get him out of there quick and clean."