Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang incorrectly predicted that Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks would win his trilogy bout with Joshua “The Passion” Pacio, though Adiwang did clarify the match could have gone either way.
Pacio once again shattered expectations in that match as he not only beat Brooks, he finished the American in the most convincing way to end their trilogy on top and continue his third ONE Strawweight MMA World Title reign.
While Adiwang was clear in his previous interview that he only had Brooks winning by a hair, and that he wouldn’t be shocked to see Pacio take it — he was surprised not with the result but with the manner his former teammate won. It didn’t come via KO where Pacio caught Brooks with one shot on the feet.
It also didn’t come via decision where the Filipino outworked the American for five rounds. It came right in Brooks’ wheelhouse, but this time it was Pacio doing the pounding on top. “Honestly, I was surprised that the fight ended the way it did.
I didn’t expect it to end like that,” Adiwang said. “But Joshua basically exposed Jarred’s weakness. By not letting Jarred dictate the tempo of the fight, he really threw him off guard. “I just didn’t expect that Joshua was gonna be executing that finish so flawlessly.”
That win not only allowed Pacio to end his trilogy with Brooks on top, it also cemented his status as the division’s best — something that was in question when the American made his debut in 2021.
“Every time that people doubt him, he comes out and proves people wrong,” Adiwang said. “I think he truly is this division’s GOAT. He deserves to be called this division’s greatest.”
