“He’s got a low center of gravity” - Jarred Brooks sees distinct challenge in striking with Gustavo Balart
Jarred Brooks believes he'll have a tough time striking with Gustavo Balart.
Brooks and Balart will meet for the first time ever on Friday, August 2 when the two strawweight warriors battle it out for the opportunity to become the division's new interim MMA world champion.
Their anticipated title clash will feature as the ONE Fight Night 24 main event inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
While 'The Monkey God' stands at a fairly conservative 5'1" tall, he expects to have a tough time throwing hands with the streaking Cuban sensation who only stands at 4'8".
“He’s got a low center of gravity, and it’s going to be a little different for me to punch down,” Brooks said in an interview with Sherdog.com.
Balart's "low center of gravity" has proven difficult for the Cuban's last four opponents, all of whom have fallen to the 37-year-old fan favorite—including fourth-ranked contender Hiroba Minowa, who suffered a split decision loss to 'El Gladiador' at ONE 165 in Tokyo.
While Jarred Brooks' biggest concern may be striking with Gustavo Balart, 'The Monkey God' has not been shy about sharing his game plan in the weeks leading up to fight night.
"I want to get it done as soon as possible," Brooks told ABS-CBN. "The way that I thought about it the whole time, we've been booked for five months. So, we've had a lot of preparation, a lot of incubation in understanding what he's doing."
How he plans to get the job done at ONE Fight Night 24 remains to be seen but with world-class wrestling and eight submission victories to his credit, it's probably safe to assume that 'The Monkey God' will look to take things to the mat where he can smother and overwhelm his opponent into giving up an arm or his neck.
Who leaves The Land of Smiles with the interim ONE strawweight MMA world championship and a future date with the division's undisputed titleholder Joshua Pacio?
ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE Fight Night 24 live and for free via Amazon Prime Video in U.S. primetime on Friday, August 2.