On August 2, current ONE strawweight MMA king Joshua “The Passion” Pacio will join millions of fans in U.S. primetime when he tunes in to watch Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks and Gustavo “El Gladiador” Balart battle for the ONE Interim Strawweight MMA World Title.

That hotly anticipated showdown will serve as the main event of ONE Fight Night 24 on Prime Video, and will take place this Friday, August 2 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Joshua Pacio supports interim title amidst knee injury setback

Pacio – who is 1-1 against Brooks – has been sidelined due to a serious knee injury. As much as it pains him to be out of action, the Filipino superstar admits that an interim title is in order.

He said: “You know how much I want to be back in there competing, but my physical condition prevents me from doing so. It is what it is. The division needs to move forward and determine the next challenger, or in this case, the next interim champion.”

The victor at ONE Fight Night 24 will leave Bangkok with 26 pounds of gold in tow and, importantly, be the next man up to challenge Pacio for the undisputed World Title.

Brooks vs. Balart promises intriguing Showdown

“The Passion” knows he’ll be in for a tough fight next, whether it’s the outspoken American or the Cuban powerhouse.

“What I love about our division is that there’s never a shortage of real World Title contenders. This will be evident in the upcoming matchup between Jarred Brooks and Gustavo Balart, where the top contender faces the next in line.”

Stylistically, Pacio says fans can look forward to an intriguing clash between Brooks and Balart.

Both men come from top-notch wrestling backgrounds, and each have displayed ever-evolving striking and meticulous fight IQ in their ONE appearances.

“The Passion” added: “As a fan of the sport, this is a fascinating matchup. You have two elite wrestlers with distinct styles that have proven successful in their careers. This fight raises many questions given their backgrounds. It’s truly mind-boggling. May the best man win.”