"He's very beatable" - Jarred Brooks eager to exploit Gustavo Balart's supposed lackluster striking
While Jarred Brooks respects Gustavo Balart's Olympic wrestling pedigree, he doubts his next foe will be able to handle his lightning-fast strikes.
The former ONE strawweight MMA world champion will begin his quest to reclaim 26 pounds of gold on August 2, when he locks horns with 'El Gladiador' in the curtain closer of ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs Balart on Prime Video at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Speaking to ONE Championship before their interim strawweight MMA clash, Brooks took note of the supposed holes in Balart's unrefined striking arsenal.
'The Monkey God' explained:
"He's very beatable. You could catch him with a kick to the body or a kick to the head. I think the kicks are going to be a big factor in this fight."
Truth be told, Balart's shortcomings on the feet were evident in his early struggles in the home of martial arts, where he dropped his first three contests.
The Cuban firecracker, though, found a way to blend his striking with his elite wrestling abilities. This powered Balart to a four-fight winning streak and put him in third place in the division's rankings.
Meanwhile, Jarred Brooks certainly took pointers from Balart's previous head-kick KO loss to Robin Catalan back in 2019.
We'll soon see if the 31-year-old American can replicate that violent finish at ONE Fight Night 24.
Jarred Brooks adjusted his game plan for shorter opponent Gustavo Balart
Jarred Brooks has been used to punching upwards against taller adversaries for most of his MMA career.
Now, he'll have the height and reach advantage against the 4-foot-11 pocket-rocket Balart.
Given the reversal of fortunes, 'The Monkey God' revealed a different game plan than fans are used to seeing out of him.
The former 125-pound MMA champ told ONE:
"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."
ONE Fight Night 24 will air live in US Primetime free of charge for those with a Prime Video subscription in North America.