Jarred Brooks still believes he is the top dog at strawweight in ONE Championship. The American is on the road back to the top after losing the ONE Strawweight MMA World Championship by DQ to Joshua Pacio. The highly motivated Brooks returns at ONE Fight Night 24, taking on Gustavo Balart for the ONE Interim Strawweight World Title.
“It just makes me even hungrier. God puts these tests in front of me, and I have to knock them down. I’m humbled by the experience. I think that people are going to see a different version of Jarred Brooks this time around. I know that my capabilities speak louder than my words, so hopefully you guys will see my capabilities in full steam against Gustavo Balart,” Brooks mentioned to ONE.
When the bell rings on August 2, “The Monkey God” wants to pummel his Cuban counterpart. The match has a little spice to it after constant jabs were exchanged on social media. The personal side of the bout is making sure that Brooks is locked in and not resting on his laurels.
“Gustavo disrespected me on so many levels. Dude, I called this guy a boss baby. Then he puts his face on my body and says that he’s the real champion. OK, that’s very disrespectful. Whatever you’re trying to be, ‘Monkey God 2.0.’ No, bro. You’re not even close. You’re 37 years old. You’re an Olympian. You did what you did. But MMA is my game. I played wrestling when I was in college. And now I just go with that with that punch-kick style. You’re gonna get everything,” the former ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion stated.
BREAKING 🚨 With Joshua Pacio out of action due to injury, former champ Jarred Brooks will face third-ranked Gustavo Balart in the main event of ONE Fight Night 24 on Prime Video for the ONE Interim Strawweight MMA World Title 👑 Who you got?#ONEFightNight24 | Fri Aug 2 at 8PM… pic.twitter.com/EFsKIbzflA
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) June 19, 2024
Balart is not coming to lay down for the former titleholder. The Cuban Olympian has been on a tear of his own. With interim gold on the line, Balart is finally at the top of the mountain and has one more match to obtain gold on the global stage.
However, Balart’s stature excites Brooks for certain advantages he will enjoy during the match. Entering as the taller man, “The Monkey God” sees ways he can utilize his striking to greater effect. Still, Brooks says he will wrestle with the Olympian and make him work every moment of the match.
“He is a smaller guy. He’s not somebody that I’m used to fighting, so stylistically, you’re going to see a different portion of me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m gonna bring out the wrestling and everything like that, but just because Gustavo is 4-foot-11, it doesn’t mean that guy isn’t a G. He’s a boss baby. He looks like a baby, but he’ll beat that a**,” Brooks said.
The 31-year-old plans to take the Cuban into the championship rounds. After reviewing his opponent’s film and seeing Balart’s physique and style, Brooks feels the most dangerous part of the match will be the first 10 minutes. After that, Brooks sees a sitting duck.
“But he’s very beatable. You could catch him with a kick to the body or kick to the head. I think the kicks are going to be a big factor in this fight. And even in the wrestling exchanges, this is a five-round fight. I don’t think he’s going to have the cardio to really hang with me. His legs are super thick. The acid that builds up in his legs is gonna end up making him tired if he doesn’t literally sprint five miles a day,” Brooks remarked.
“The Monkey God” wants to make Balart fight his kind of fight. The mental game plan is just as crucial as the stylistic matchup to the American. At ONE Fight Night 24, Brooks is ready to stamp his rematch with Pacio with a highlight-reel finish.
“I have like a Jedi mind trick when I face other fighters. I make them calm down with my body language and how fast I might come at them. Aggression meets aggression. Let’s see who’s the bigger dog right now. I’ll get him in that corner. And then when I have that little dog in the corner, he’s done. I’m looking forward to showing everybody in the world that I can knock somebody out cold.”
ONE Fight Night 24 airs live on Prime Video on Friday, August 2, from Bangkok. The action begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The event is free for all Amazon Prime subscribers in the U.S. and Canada.
