Responding to the continued taunting of his future opponent, Team Lakay’s Joshua Pacio told brash American Jarred Brooks he is ready to defend his ONE strawweight world belt anytime and anywhere.
“Anytime soon. I’m ready to go,” said Pacio, as he admitted he was expecting a unanimous decision victory for Brooks against erstwhile title contender Bokang Musanyane in their title eliminator match in Singapore last month.
“Brooks displayed his wrestling and grappling prowess. I must say, I’m very impressed. Bokang is equally a fine wrestler, and I think he wants to prove that, but Brooks was very slick taking his back,” Pacio added.
While the 26-year-old titleholder will be cautious of Brooks’ submission game, he is raring to enter the ONE circle against the American who has built a 3-0 record in ONE.
The Igorot warrior knows the verbal jabs from the Michigan-based competitor will only increase as the inevitable draws near. However, the current division king knows that it’s all part of the show, and he would not give in to Brooks’ prodding.
“I think I have a fair idea about this sport’s business side, and I’ve seen a lot of guys like him talk to market themselves. So, I understand what he’s playing,” Pacio said.
But Brooks has backed up his talk with three victories in ONE Championship. One of those wins was against Pacio’s teammate, Lito Adiwang.
After a trifecta of fights, Pacio admitted that Brooks’ game doesn’t have many holes. Yet, despite Brooks’ invincibility, Pacio still has some tricks that the American hasn’t seen.
“I’m focusing on everything because this is MMA. I know his strength is wrestling, but I have a lot of tools in my game that I haven’t yet demonstrated inside the circle,” Pacio said. – Harley F. Palangchao
