ONE Championship’s second event in the Middle East has had another World Title bout added to its lineup.
ONE 171: Qatar will take over Lusail Sports Arena on Thursday, 20th February, and feature the long-awaited third battle between ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio and interim divisional king Jarred “The Monkey God.”
Brooks has made it his mission to be a thorn in Pacio’s side since his arrival in ONE Championship three years ago. He won his first three promotional outings with ease, earning him the right to challenge the Filipino superstar for the strawweight MMA crown at ONE 164 in December 2022.
“The Monkey God” outworked Pacio across five rounds to snatch the decision win and the World Title that evening, but no one believed their rivalry would start and finish there.
The pair ran it back at ONE 166 – ONE Championship’s first event in Qatar – last March, but it ended unceremoniously when Brooks accidentally spiked “The Passion” on his head less than a minute into the bout, which caused the referee to disqualify him and give the belt back to Pacio.
The fiery American has been hellbent on regaining the World Title since, but Pacio has needed time to recover from the slam and a subsequent torn ACL he suffered in training.
As a result, an interim belt was introduced to the division, which Brooks bested Cuban powerhouse Gustavo Balart for this past August at ONE Fight Night 24.
But with plenty of time on the sidelines, Pacio is now back in fighting shape, and the world will finally get to watch the next dramatic chapter of his rivalry with Brooks unfold on 20th February.
Heavy is the head that wears the crown, but “The Passion” has been here before many times across his tenure in ONE Championship.
Prior to his first meeting with Brooks, he enjoyed a three-year reign atop the strawweight MMA division, including an impressive five defences.
There is little doubt that this World Title showdown will hold more significance than the others for Pacio, and Brooks will be equally fired up to show the world he can get the job done twice against his old foe.
So, their rubber match will be unmissable when it goes down inside Lusail Sports Arena at ONE 171.
