“I’m very confident in what I bring to the table” - Jarred Brooks says his skills will bring home the gold against Gustavo Balart
Jarred Brooks is ready to show the world just how good he is at ONE Fight Night 24.
Returning to the legendary Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, August 2, 'The Monkey God' will look to once again strap 26 pounds of ONE Championship gold around his waist when he meets Cuban sensation Gustavo Balart for the interim ONE strawweight MMA world championship.
Though it's Brooks' third-straight title fight under the ONE banner, the first strawweight MMA titleholder feels like he still has something to prove when he meets 'El Gladiador' on martial arts' biggest global stage.
“Gustavo Balart, man, as impressive as he’s been, I’m very confident in what I bring to the table, Brooks told ONE Championship during a recent interview. "And like I said earlier, the fans, and everyone all around the world, will understand what I mean when I face him next month.”
If Brooks leaves the Mecca of Muay Thai with another big win, he'll not only snap the four-fight win streak of Balart, but he'll also set the stage for a trilogy fight with the promotion's reigning strawweight MMA champ, Joshua Pacio.
Jarred Brooks seeking redemption in potential trilogy fight with Joshua Pacio
Jarred Brooks and Joshua Pacio have met on two separate occasions thus far, the first coming at ONE 164 in Manilla when 'The Passion' put his gold up for grabs.
After five rounds of dominance, 'The Monkey God' left the Philippines with his first world title, though it didn't take long for Pacio to bounce back, earning a win over Mansur Malachiev at ONE Fight Night 15 to score himself a rematch with Brooks five months later in Qatar.
ONE 166 saw Brooks step into the Circle to defend his title against the same man, he took it from. Sadly, he would not leave Lusail Sports Arena with the gold after he inadvertently spiked Pacio on the top of his head during a takedown attempt less than a minute into the fight. As a result, Brooks was disqualified, crowning 'The Passion' as the ONE strawweight MMA world champion once again.
If he can bag a big win over Gustavo Balart in Bangkok, Jarred Brooks will have the chance to redeem himself and close the book on his epic rivalry with 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.