Jarred Brooks praises Filipino fanbase, says Joshua Pacio rivalry has allowed him to capture 'a lot of kuya's hearts'
American fighter Jarred Brooks has ruffled some feathers of Filipino fight fans for his somewhat brash approach to his rivalry with Joshua Pacio. He, however, said that he respects Filipino fans and was thankful for their support.
'The Monkey God' has battled 'The Passion' twice in world title fights and split the outcome.
Brooks took the first in December 2022 by unanimous decision to seize the ONE strawweight MMA world title.
Then on March 1 at ONE 166: Qatar, Pacio got back the title, although not the way he envisioned it, with his Indiana native opponent disqualified in the opening round of their title clash. This happened after Jarred Brooks executed an accidental illegal spike that saw the Lions Nation MMA standout hit the canvas head first.
The move earned an automatic DQ and loss for Brooks, forcing him to surrender his championship belt to Pacio as specified under ONE Championship rules.
In a recent interview with The MMA Superfan, Brooks shared his thoughts on Filipino fans in light of his intense rivalry with their hometown hero, saying:
"That support [from the Filipino fans], that support is super huge, bro. That Filipino support... And, you know, if I could really get the capture, I think I've captured a lot of kuya's hearts."
"But at the same time, you know, I think that if I beat Josh, I want your guys' support please," Brooks added. "I think that you guys are probably the best supporters. If I can be an American that you guys hated and now you love and go in and fight these guys and have your support then that would mean the world to me."
Watch the interview below:
ONE 166: Qatar was held at the Lusail Sports Arena. Its replay is available for free to North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription.
Jarred Brooks wants immediate rematch with Joshua Pacio
Given how their last title match went down, Jarred Brooks wants an immediate rematch with reigning ONE strawweight MMA world champion Joshua Pacio once he is 100 percent healthy and ready to defend his title.
Deprived of a definitive finish, Jarred Brooks believes that a third fight between him and Pacio should be in the offing before anything else. He said in the same interview with The MMA Superfan:
"Yeah, it's Josh, Josh, Josh. Who else is there? ..."