Joshua Pacio insists Team Lakay not making excuses after Lito Adiwang's loss to Jarred Brooks

Joshua Pacio insisted that Team Lakay wholeheartedly accepted Lito Adiwang's defeat to Jarred Brooks last October. ONE Championship (file photo)

By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA—Joshua Pacio has clapped back at Jarred Brooks when the latter said that the former's camp hurled nothing but excuses when Brooks took down Lito Adiwang in their fight last year.

Responding to Brooks' interview with Asian MMA's James Goyder, Pacio said on Friday that they at Team Lakay already conceded to Adiwang's loss at ONE: NextGen 3 against Brooks on Oct. 29, 2021, without any excuse.

"We're not making excuses. Talagang tanggap namin na natalo si Lito doon," Pacio said in an online press conference. "Hindi naman kami nagrereklamo."

However, Pacio bared that Adiwang has been insisting that there was no low blow in his leg kick halfway into the second round of his clash against Brooks.

"Ang sinasabi lang namin doon ay para sa kanya, hindi tumama yung low blow. That's a leg kick," Pacio continued.

Whether Adiwang accidentally hit Brooks' groin during his kick was one of the reasons Brooks hit out at Team Lakay as he told Goyder.

Brooks insisted that Adiwang kneed his groin during his kick and Adiwang calling it otherwise was an excuse.

Brooks then had some words at Team Lakay coach Mark Sangiao, saying that he was just mad at the outcome of the fight and is not really accepting it wholeheartedly.

Pacio said that he is not surprised that Brooks has been hurling choice words against his stable.

"Lahat naman tayo, nanonood ng UFC, so we're used to that kind of style," Pacio continued, although he insisted that he is unfazed by Brooks' taunts.

Brooks' win over Adiwang moved the former up to number three in the ONE strawweight title contenders list and dropped the latter out of the ranking in the process.

Brooks will face fourth-ranked Koha Minowa, who also gave Adiwang a loss in his ONE Championship journey, at ONE: Only the Brave on Jan. 28 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Brooks believes that a win against Minowa will set him up against Pacio for the ONE strawweight championship.

However, Pacio bared that a rematch between Adiwang and Brooks could be on the horizon too.

"We'll find a way para makapag-rematch sila. Yun yung gusto ni Lito," Pacio further said.

But he remains ready should ONE decide to have him defend his belt against either the Brooks-Minowa winner or even top-ranked contender Bokang Masunyane.

"Last year pa lang, we have our eyes on the rankings. Nire-review namin yung skills, strengths, and weaknesses nila. We are ready kahit sino," Pacio further said.

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