All Martial Arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing.
Joshua Pacio will challenge Jarred Brooks for the ONE Championship strawweight MMA title in early 2024.
Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong revealed the match-up during an interview with the Post this week.
“The Monkey Good” swiped the belt from Pacio on the Filipino’s home turf in Manila last December, taking a dominant unanimous decision at the Mall of Asia Arena.
American Brooks has yet to defend the belt, but “The Passion” earned a chance at reclaiming it by defeating No 5-ranked Mansur Malachiev last month in Bangkok.
“I’m not supposed to say this because it’s not been confirmed. But Jarred Brooks versus Joshua Pacio II is happening early next year,” Chatri said.
“I was just in a matchmaking meeting and they were going through a bunch of different matchups, but that’s happening and it’s going to get announced very soon.”
The 30-year-old Brooks returned to action in August, but for a submission grappling match against flyweight champion Mikey Musumeci, who von via arm bar.
Brooks then took to social media to call out almost every challenger in his division, until now to no avail.
“Joshua Pacio, I am more than willing and ready to fight you in a month, two months, it doesn’t matter,” he said in a recent video post on Instagram.
“But there’s that timeline for you, bro. I hope you’re ready. Let’s go. Come for me? I’m coming for you, baby.”
He also tagged the former champion in another post, suggesting he was not willing to keep waiting around for Pacio to sign a bout agreement.
“I’m hungry, and who else is left to fight!? Quit playing if you want your title back, accept a fight!” Brooks wrote.
The 27-year-old Pacio, for his part, has kept largely quiet, but expressed interest in the rematch after beating Russia’s Malachiev. “If they give it to me, yes,” the soft-spoken Pacio told the Post.
Pacio is also certain he will perform better the second time around, after failing to trouble the American in Manila.
“Your prediction is wrong, man,” he said, responding to Brooks’ forecast of a second-round finish for the rematch. “I promise in my next outing I’ll be more impressive.”