December 4, 2022 – Manila, Philippines: ONE Championship™ (ONE) blew the roof off the Mall of Asia Arena with ONE 164: Pacio vs. Brooks. The stacked card featured a host of electrifying martial arts contests, headlined by an action-packed war for the ONE Strawweight World Title.
ONE Championship, in partnership with leading premium lifestyle and luxury performance brand TUMI, presented the prestigious ONE World Title belt to the World Champion.
In the main event, American sensation Jarred Brooks outlasted a game Joshua Pacio, winning a close unanimous decision to capture the ONE Strawweight World Title from the Filipino star.
Brooks and Pacio engaged immediately at the sound of the opening bell, with “The Monkey God” pushing the pace to try to set up his takedowns. “The Passion” tried his best to stay outside of Brooks’ range by countering whenever the American shot in. But despite Pacio’s stellar takedown defense, the challenger held his own in the striking department, as he often caught his opponent with overhand rights.
In the fourth stanza, Brooks landed a takedown and then caught Pacio in a wrenching face crank as time expired. The final five minutes saw “The Monkey God” complete another double leg, as he finished the fight in top position to cement his World Title victory.
In the co-main event, Superlek Kiatmoo9 defeated longtime rival Panpayak Jitmuangnon with a hard-fought split decision. The Thai striking legends exchanged their best combinations for the eighth time in their storied careers, but it was “The Kicking Machine” who put together the more effective offense across three rounds. It was a close fight to the end, as the judges were divided in choosing the winner. Ultimately, #1-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Superlek took home the win over his #2-ranked rival.
Iranian wrestling great Amir Aliakbari sent former ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon Vera into retirement with a first-round technical knockout victory over the Filipino-American legend. Aliakbari stayed patient in the pocket, biding his time until an opportunity to close the distance opened up. The Iranian quickly bridged the gap, took Vera to the ground, and finished him with ground-and-pound. Afterward, the packed Mall of Asia Arena gave Vera an emotional send off, as “The Truth” announced it was the last fight of his professional MMA career.
Chinese firecracker Hu Yong silenced the Manila crowd with a scintillating second-round stoppage win over former ONE Flyweight World Champion and longtime Filipino favorite Geje Eustaquio. Eustaquio displayed composure and precision, allowing Hu to come forward as he opted to counter. But as Eustaquio tried to find his rhythm, Hu continued to grow stronger. The power of the “Wolf Warrior” eventually shone through, as he connected with a devastating right hand that dropped “Gravity,” forcing the referee to halt the contest.
Team Lakay bantamweight sensation Jeremy Pacatiw put together a spectacular performance, trading heavy artillery with Myanmar’s Tial Thang and then showcasing his ground skills. Pacatiw utilized his lightning-quick hands and powerful kicks in round one, as he chased Tial Thang across the Circle. However, it was Pacatiw’s grappling that got the job done in the second round. After hurting Tial Thang on the feet, “The Juggernaut” quickly locked in a triangle choke, forcing “The Dragon Leg” to tap out. The win earned Pacatiw a US$50,000 bonus.
Filipino heroes Drex Zamboanga and Adonis Sevilleno figured in a grueling three-round war to kick off the main card. Both men came to fight, mixing it up well between striking and grappling as they locked horns at the center of the Circle. Sevilleno took a wrestling-heavy approach, while Zamboanga got the better of the stand-up exchanges throughout the duration of the contest. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Zamboanga to win by unanimous decision.
[READ: Sangiao, Khalilov, Meng Score Finishes On ONE 164 Lead Card]
Performance bonus winners: Jeremy Pacatiw (US$50,000), Jhanlo Mark Sangiao (US$50,000), Tagir Khalilov (US$50,000)
MAIN CARD
MMA - Strawweight: Jarred Brooks def. Joshua Pacio via Unanimous Decision
Muay Thai - Catchweight (138 lbs): Superlek Kiatmoo9 def. Panpayak Jitmuangnon via Split Decision
MMA - Heavyweight: Amir Aliakbari def. Brandon Vera via TKO at 3:37 of R1
MMA - Flyweight: Hu Yong def. Geje Eustaquio via KO at 4:43 of R1
MMA - Bantamweight: Jeremy Pacatiw def. Tial Thang via Submission (Triangle Choke) at 1:17 of R2
MMA - Bantamweight: Drex Zamboanga def. Adonis Sevilleno via Unanimous Decision
LEAD CARD
MMA - Catchweight (156.25 lbs): Jhanlo Mark Sangiao def. Anacleto Lauron via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 1:48 of R1
Muay Thai - Flyweight: Tagir Khalilov def. Chorfah Tor.Sangtiennoi via TKO at 2:29 of R1
Muay Thai - Atomweight: Lara Fernandez def. Dangkongfah Banchamek via Split Decision
MMA - Catchweight (130.75): Meng Bo def. Jenelyn Olsim via KO at 00:24 of R1