Lito Adiwang, the Philippine strawweight MMA fighter, expressed his surprise over Jarred Brooks’ decision to move up to the flyweight division. Adiwang, known as “Thunder Kid”, expected that Brooks would have focused on unifying the ONE Strawweight MMA World Title with Joshua Pacio, his former teammate at Team Lakay, before moving up in weight.
Adiwang’s Thoughts on Brooks’ Decision
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Adiwang shared:
“Yes, I was a bit surprised. But I’m just surprised about the timing of it all. Because that’s what I would probably do as well after getting the belt. But he’s only holding the interim belt and he decided to move up already. So that’s what I was surprised by.”
Brooks vs. Pacio
Brooks lost to Pacio back in March 2024 at ONE 166 by disqualification after an illegal spike led to a dramatic finish. This left Pacio as the ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion. Following the loss, Brooks returned to capture the ONE Interim Strawweight MMA Title, defeating Gustavo Balart in Pacio’s absence.
Now, Brooks has his sights set on the flyweight division, despite not yet having unified the strawweight title with Pacio.
Brooks’ Flyweight Debut
- Event: ONE Fight Night 26: Lee vs. Rasulov
- Date: Friday, December 6, 2024
- Venue: Lumpinee Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand
- Fight: Jarred Brooks vs. Reece McLaren (Flyweight MMA Bout)
In his flyweight MMA debut, Brooks will face No. 4-ranked flyweight contender Reece McLaren of Australia in a three-round contest.
Why Brooks is Moving Up
While the timing of Brooks’ decision surprised Adiwang, the move may reflect Brooks’ ambition to challenge himself against bigger opponents. Fans in the U.S. and Canada can catch all the action live on Amazon Prime Video for free with an active subscription.
