Jarred Brooks and Joshua Pacio are fierce rivals in the Circle but could be best friends away from it.

The pair squared off for the next chapter of their rivalry when they contested the ONE Strawweight MMA World Title this past weekend at ONE 166: Qatar inside the Lusail Sports Arena.

Jarred Brooks vs. Joshua Pacio at ONE 166: Qatar

They were ready to bring the house down in the organization’s first event in Qatar, but their match ended prematurely and in controversial fashion.

Early in the match, “The Monkey God” latched onto Pacio’s back looking for a submission, but the Filipino had a good defensive position and later went for a kimura on his opponent’s arm.

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Brooks then decided to free himself with a slam and rained down punches on “The Passion” after they hit the ground. The bell rang, and the American jumped in glee at the quick finish.

Unfortunately, Pacio landed on his head on the slam, which was illegal. As a result, it was deemed a disqualification loss for Brooks, crowning Pacio as the new ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion.

Brooks was devastated at the decision but was later concerned about the welfare of his rival. He immediately went to his social media pages to express his sadness at the outcome as well as his well wishes for his opponent, saying that it was not his intention to slam his head to the ground.

Pacio was reportedly taken to the hospital immediately after the match, and his teammate Eduard Folayang quickly updated fans that the 28-year-old was fine despite wearing a neck brace.

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The wholesome moments between the two fighters despite the unfortunate end to the fight

The following morning, the two men met again and even shared a meal together. Their genuine respect for each other was evident as Brooks looked sincerely relieved that Pacio was fine and in good spirits.

Meanwhile, Pacio assured Brooks that he understood that it was one of the dangers of the sport and that his rival was just doing his job.

Following up a five-round war in their initial encounter with a quick and unfortunate disqualification is clearly not the way that these two showmen wanted to finish their rematch.

Expect the pair to run it back as soon as Pacio is ready and recovered, as Brooks will certainly be determined to reclaim the gold he lost in such a disappointing fashion.

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