“That really hurts” - Joshua Pacio admits sympathizing with Jarred Brooks following DQ loss at ONE 166 in Qatar
Joshua Pacio and Jarred Brooks may be the most bitter of rivals in ONE Championship, yet they share a deep respect that no amount of fighting could tarnish.
That respect for one another was in full display when their world title matchup at ONE 166 ended in a harrowing disaster.
Brooks inadvertently spiked Pacio's head to the canvas that left the Filipino star unconscious less than a minute into their matchup at Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar.
The move is considered illegal in the Global Mixed Martial Arts Rule Set, and referee Herb Dean was forced to disqualify Brooks and award the ONE strawweight MMA world title to Pacio.
In an interview with The MMA Superfan, Pacio said he sympathizes with Brooks for how the American star lost the world title in their highly anticipated rematch.
Joshua Pacio stressed that while he was happy to have the world title in his possession, how he got the gold wasn't how he wanted it to be:
"Not everyone sees the struggle. Everyone just sees that I won due to disqualification. Only athletes know the struggles of athletes. I know it was also hard for Jarred Brooks to lose via DQ. That really hurts."
Pacio and Brooks have yet to talk about a potential third match between them, and the Filipino star has yet to receive the medical clearance to enter the circle once more.
As for Brooks, 'The Monkey God' is adamant that he never intended to spike Pacio's head on the canvas and he was glad to see his old rival walk away with the least damage possible.
Watch Pacio's entire interview below:
Joshua Pacio admits he was upset with how he won the world title
Joshua Pacio is on an unprecedented third reign with the ONE strawweight MMA world title, yet he's not that all satisfied to return to the throne he once occupied.
In the same interview, Pacio said he was disappointed with how he regained the coveted belt.
Pacio said:
"My training was pure quality, my training camp was pure quality, my nutrition was pure quality, everything was. We all didn't want what happened. Of course, I was just so upset with what happened."