Joshua Pacio and Jarred Brooks squared off for the third time in the main event of ONE 171.
This time, it was the Filipino star who had the final say, securing a decisive victory over his American rival.
Determined to leave no room for controversy, The Passion delivered a statement win in the early hours of Friday, February 21 (Philippine time), at the stunning Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar.
However, the road to victory was anything but easy. Pacio had to navigate the submission-heavy arsenal of Brooks, who relentlessly hunted for a finish with a series of tight chokes, including a D’Arce and a guillotine.
(C) ONEFC.com
Despite being put in dangerous positions, though, Pacio powered through.
He eventually reversed the tide to end the opening round in a dominant position — offering a glimmer of hope to the Filipino fans in attendance.
The second round saw Pacio take control in an unexpected fashion. He tripped Brooks to the mat and opted to impose his will from top position, raining down heavy shots to the ribcage.
As Brooks scrambled to escape, Pacio stayed relentless, following him to the fence and unleashing a flurry of punches to the head.
With Brooks unable to intelligently defend himself, referee Mohamad Sulaiman stepped in, stopping the contest at the 4:22 mark of Round 2 and awarding Pacio the technical knockout victory.
With the emphatic win, Pacio unified the titles and cemented himself as the undisputed ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion, improving his record to 23-4.
The 29-year-old Baguio City native also took home a bonus worth $50,000 from ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong for his stellar performance — his first stoppage since September 2021 when he closed the book on his feud with Yosuke Saruta.
(C) ONEFC.com
Meanwhile, Brooks suffered his second consecutive loss to Pacio, dropping to 21-5.
It can be recalled that both men fought in a rematch nearly a year ago, where Pacio won via disqualification due to an illegal slam executed by Brooks.
The Lions Nation MMA co-founder made sure that he would author a definitive finish in the rubber match.
