ONE Championship: What's Next For Jarred Brooks? Strawweight MMA Champ Outlines Next 6 Months

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When ONE 166 took over Doha, Qatar this past March, the stacked card saw a multitude of World Title fights on offer. One of those was the long-awaited rematch between then-reigning ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Jarred Brooks and former king Joshua Pacio.

Given the 15 months between bouts, expectations rode high when the duo collided inside Lusail Sports Arena. But after just 56 seconds, the World Title matchup came to an underwhelming close when Brooks slammed Pacio on his head and the American was DQ'd.

The accidental slam and DQ meant Pacio left with the gold. Nobody took the outcome worse than Brooks. After all, in the heat of the moment his plan to settle the rivalry came to a crushing end. To the outspoken American, they must meet for a third time.

"I wish nothing but the best for Joshua. I'm sorry that happened to him at the end of the day. Nobody wants to see a fellow athlete almost die in the ring," Brooks said.

"We're gonna have to run that back sometime, though. He's still the champ and he can't be sitting on that belt. But I'm looking forward to going against other competitors in strawweight or flyweight. We'll see where it goes."

Should the pair eventually meet to complete the trilogy in the strawweight MMA realm, Brooks will have to sit patiently. Reports stemmed from Pacio's camp in April that "The Passion" had suffered a torn ACL, ruling him out of action indefinitely.

Luckily, Brooks' mind is just as sharp as his words. Multiple contenders have emerged since the duo first met at ONE 164 in December 2022. "The Monkey God" senses more opportunities will make themselves known, and he's happy to keep active until the Filipino star returns.

In fact, of all the guys in the strawweight top-five, Brooks has yet to face #3-ranked Gustavo Balart or #5-ranked Mansur Malachiev. Then there's the bout he wants with ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion Demetrious Johnson. Either way, Brooks is prepared for a massive second half to the year.

"My mentality has not changed since that loss. My mind is [like] steel," Brooks said. "I'm gonna be a rocket, I'm shooting myself to space in 2024. It just goes with opportunities."