"I was better than him across the board" - Jarred Brooks had zero doubt about getting his hand raised against Gustavo Balart
Jarred Brooks wanted to make a statement at ONE Fight Night 24 and he did just that with a dominant performance.
The former ONE strawweight MMA world champion felt like he had a point to prove after what happened in his last fight.
'The Monkey God' was disqualified at ONE 166 for spiking Joshua Pacio and therefore lost his title.
On August 2, he was able to claim the interim title to set up a huge unification with Pacio after submitting Gustavo Balart in the opening round.
His opponent brings a high caliber of wrestling pedigree to the table but 'The Monkey God' was able to stay a step ahead at all times in this fight.
This fight was about proving that he's still the best in this weight class and the skills he showed make that hard to argue with.
In his post-event interviews, Brooks spoke about marking himself out from the rest of the pack:
"I think I was better than him across the board in every other aspect of mixed martial arts. He did put me on my back for the first time in my whole career. So props to him for that."
Watch the full interview below:
Jarred Brooks didn't back down from a challenge
Jarred Brooks himself had suggested that Gustavo Balart's wrestling background could provide him with some interesting problems to solve.
The former champion has spoken about showcasing his striking in this fight only to secure a takedown in the very first engagement.
His fight IQ and timing were crucial in this fight and meant that despite Balart's history in wrestling, he wasn't able to implement it.
Brooks worked to secure his opponent's back and once he was there, he made the most of the opportunity by locking in the submission after several attempts.
The replay of ONE Fight Night 24 is available on demand for Prime Video subscribers in North America.