"He is a sleeping giant" - Jarred Brooks admits it would be foolish to count out smaller foe Gustavo Balart
Jarred Brooks is always incredibly confident in his ability to get his hand raised when stepping inside the Circle.
Despite some perceiving his pre-fight comments to come from a place of arrogance, 'The Monkey God' never underestimates his opponents.
He believes that he is the best strawweight in the world and looks to prove that each and every time but that doesn't mean that he won't face some tough tests along the way.
This is exactly the case for his next outing where he will look to reclaim a piece of the strawweight world championship which he lost at ONE 166 in unfortunate circumstances.
Brooks will face Cuban wrestling specialist Gustavo Balart in the main event of ONE Fight Night 24 on August 2.
Whilst his opponent may not be the most physically imposing competitor in the division, the former champion is well aware of the dangers that Balart brings to this fight.
He told the South China Morning Post that he isn't overlooking this challenge:
"I'm not sleeping on this guy. This guy is an Olympic-level athlete. Even though the guy is 4'11, I've seen him beat some of the best of the best in the world. He is a sleeping giant, literally. So you can't sit there and sleep on somebody until you wake up."
Watch the full interview below:
Jarred Brooks faces a complex problem on August 2
The game plan for Jarred Brooks against pretty much every other strawweight is to fight with a high pace and mix in his takedowns in order to keep opponents under pressure and on the back foot.
This will be difficult to execute on Gustavo Balart because of the wrestling pedigree that he brings to the table.
With his small but stocky frame and explosive striking, he's a difficult match-up for the former champion.
We will find out on August 2 whether Brooks is able to once again prove that he's a cut above the rest.
ONE Fight Night 24 will air live in US Primetime, free of charge for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.