Former Olympic wrestler Gustavo Balart doubts Jarred Brooks can take him down: "No way"

Gustavo Balart comes into his next contest with confidence in his ability to outgrapple his opponent. When it comes to the strawweight MMA division, the Cuban athlete brings one of the most decorated wrestling pedigrees that we have seen in ONE Championship.

Balart has won gold medals in the past at major wrestling tournaments and even made it to the quarter-finals of the 2012 Olympics in London.

He always has this skill set in his back pocket and it could be crucial for him in his next contest at ONE Fight Night 24.

In the main event, he will face former champion Jarred Brooks with the interim strawweight MMA world championship on the line.

Brooks is known for using his own wrestling skills to implement his will, pace, and pressure on opponents to break them down.

This isn't a major concern for the opponent he faces on Aug. 2 who made his way into combat sports following a great career in wrestling.

Balart told ONE Championship in a recent interview that having his back hit the mat is simply not a consideration coming into Lumpinee Stadium:

"I am going to defend myself. I am not going to let him take me down. No way. I will counterattack."

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Gustavo Balart can force Jarred Brooks to fight his fight

Both men being strong wrestlers means that Gustavo Balart and Jarred Brooks may cancel each other out in this field.

You'd imagine that given his explosive and powerful striking, Balart would be happy to use his wrestling defensively so that he can keep the fight standing.

Brooks has certainly shown improvements in his stand-up game but he doesn't have the power to match his opponent and relies far more on pressure and output.

Standing with Balart isn't an ideal situation for 'The Monkey God' but he may be left without another option if he's unable to secure takedowns.

ONE Fight Night 24 will air live in US Primetime, free of charge for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

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