Jarred Brooks’ Secret Weapon

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Jarred Brooks’ life has changed drastically since he won the ONE Championship strawweight title from Joshua Pacio at ONE 164. In a little over a year, Brooks has learned to handle the pressure of carrying the belt and raising a newborn daughter.

“The Monkey God” has mastered the art of multitasking leading up to his rematch and first title defense against Pacio at ONE 166 this Friday at Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail, Qatar. While 3-month-old Naomi slept peacefully on his chest, Brooks explained softly why she could be the secret weapon behind a long, successful title reign.

“To be honest, I really didn’t give a sh-t about myself before her,” Brooks told Sherdog.com. “Now, I truly do. I’ve got to do the right things, and I’ve got to make sure I’m always prepared. Anything can happen, and I’m down for anything for this little one.”

Brooks (20-2, 4-0 ONE) has not fought in the cage since he snapped Pacio’s four-fight winning streak on Dec. 3, 2022. That does not mean he has closed himself off to new challenges. In August, he attempted to take Mikey Musumeci’s flyweight submission grappling championship. Forty percent of Brooks’ wins had come through submission, and after cruising through his last seven opponents, he needed a push to reach the next level. Musumeci showed him that there were levels for which he was not yet prepared.

“I think that’s what gets you to a higher level,” Brooks said. “We all have egos as fighters and when you go to a discipline like jiu-jitsu, a discipline I work a lot, but you go against the Michael Jordan of Jiu-Jitsu, it’s like, ‘What am I going to do?’ It was the first time I felt like I was in a box and couldn’t get out.”

Brooks’ loss to Musumeci was overshadowed by Naomi’s arrival three months later. He might be the most famous person in his family, but he happily played the supporting role in the delivery room.

“My wife picked the name out,” Brooks said. “She’s pretty much the head of the household over here. She lets me fight, but that’s about it.”

The defending champion does not expect to receive a warm welcome back to MMA. Pacio (20-4, 12-4 ONE) sounds eager to regain his belt and avenge his loss to Brooks. The American understands that kind of hunger better than most.

“I think that if you leave a dog in the cage for years and feed him pebbles, he will be hungry as f---,” Brooks said. “I’m super hungry and ready to show that Joshua Pacio and the entire strawweight division are underneath me.”

Heading into their first fight, Brooks saw how miserable Pacio was during his weight cut. Walking around near the strawweight limit allows Brooks to conserve his energy for the fight, but his opponents rarely enjoy that advantage. While sharing a meal near each other, Brooks engulfed everything on his plate. Pacio sipped on coffee and tea.

“I thought to myself, ‘Dang, that kind of sucks,’” Brooks said. “I kind of felt bad for Joshua after the fight. He was beat up and felt the agony of defeat in him. It’s not a great feeling because I’m an empath, you know? I almost could shed a tear with him, but it excites me to know he has the hunger.”

Brooks expects nothing but the best from Pacio in their rematch, but he does not believe it will be enough. At 30 years old, Brooks has entered his physical prime, and mentally, he claims he could not be sharper or more motivated.

Fatherhood has come with its challenges, and while a dirty diaper may sting worse than a right hand, Brooks has prepared himself for it all.

“She is my heart and soul, and when I get in that cage, it’s just going to feel different,” he said. “A good different.”