'Nothing new': ONE strawweight champ Pacio brushes off challenger Brooks' trash talk

MANILA, Philippines — ONE strawweight world champion Joshua Pacio is hardly paying attention to all the chatter from title challenger Jarred Brooks after the latter earned a shot at Pacio's belt.

Even before battling it out with Bokang Masunyane in a title eliminator match last April, Brooks has been throwing jabs at the Filipino.

Instead of paying attention to it, Pacio said he knows what it's all about.

"Alam ko yung business side ng sport na ito at sa tagal ko na sa sport na ito, sa tagal ko nang nakapanuod sa iba't ibang promotion, alam ko na yung ganyang style," Pacio said of Brooks' brash personality.

"So, di na bago yan. Hindi naman [ako] naapektuhan. Kumbaga, masaya pa nga kasi mas marami pang tumututok na tao sa laban namin," he added.

Since entering ONE, Brooks has been rampaging the division with his words and his fists as he bulldozed the strawweight division to reach Pacio in just three bouts.

One of the American's wins came at the expense of Pacio's stablemate Lito Adiwang.

Knowing how dangerous Brooks is despite his insistence on engaging in verbal jabs, Pacio is keeping himself focused on the task at hand.

"Syempre, focus lang sa training kasi at the end of the day naman, yung totoong laban ay sa loob ng circle eh. Hindi naman sa trash talking or sa salita," said Pacio.

"Alam ko yung calibre niya as an athlete, mataas kasi he's been there. Matagal na siyang nasa top, nakalaban na niya yung iba't ibang athlete na malalakas so alam ko yung calibre niya, ganun din yung confidence niya, mataas yung confidence niya kaya ganun siya magsalita," he added.

Pacio and Brooks are expected to meet soon for the former's fourth title defense since regaining the strap from Yosuke Saruta in April 2019.

Pacio, training out of Team Lakay, is the lone reigning champion for the Philippines as of now.