Demetrious Johnson Challenged at Home Soil by ONE Strawweight World Champion Jarred Brooks – ”I Do Think That I’m Better”

Published 03/01/2024, 2:54 AM EST

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Now less than one day away from his World Title defense against Joshua “The Passion” Pacio, reigning ONE strawweight MMA kingpin Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks is looking ahead to a potential showdown with an all-time great in the future.

The outspoken American will battle Pacio in a much-anticipated World Title rematch this Friday, March 1 at ONE 166: Qatar, live from the Lusail Sports Arena.

Jarred Brooks wants to create history with Johnson

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Brimming with confidence, Brooks is naturally picking himself to defeat his Filipino rival for the second time and leave the Middle East with his ONE Strawweight MMA World Title safely in tow. When asked who he’d like to face next, “The Monkey God” didn’t hesitate:

“I want Demetrious Johnson. We are very, very close in size, stature, and speed. We’re very wrestling-heavy. We surprise people with our kicks. So, I think that it’s going to be a very, very interesting fight.”

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Widely regarded as the greatest pound-for-pound mixed martial artist ever, Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson currently holds the ONE Flyweight MMA World Title and has recently admitted that he’s nearing the end of his incredible career.

Brooks would love to be one of the legend’s final opponents. He says he’s not interested in simply sharing the Circle with Johnson – he wants to defeat the GOAT. “I do think that I’m better than Demetrious Johnson. Everybody might laugh and think that’s a fallacy. But I don’t think that it is in my head. I know that Demetrious Johnson is somebody that I can capitalize on. I’ve been studying him for years, and I don’t think that he’s ready for somebody to bring a storm like me.” 

Brooks has a venue ready in his mind too

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Never one to shy away from promoting a fight, Brooks is already planning the perfect place for his future clash with “Mighty Mouse.” With at least two ONE Championship shows slated for the United States later this year, “The Monkey God” is all-in for an all-American World Title showdown.

He added “I think the United States would be perfect because it’s two United States superstars. Don’t get me wrong, he has a lot more star power than me, but going against somebody like Demetrious will bring out my star power and show people that I am more of a salesman, and that I can do it better than Demetrious Johnson inside and outside of the cage.” 

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“I’m ready to show that I am still the best in the world at strawweight, and hopefully, I can show the world that I’m the best flyweight.” 

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Written by:

Prit Chauhan

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Prit Chauhan is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. His portfolio shows him as the go-to event coverage writer at ES and his work on UFC 297 is proof of the same. As an experienced writer and a longtime MMA fan, Prit’s strong suit lies in telling the relatively unknown and more personal stories of fights and fighters.
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Edited by:

Joyita Das