"I need to defeat anyone in my path" - Gustavo Balart on nearing possible showdown with champion Joshua Pacio

Gustavo Balart looks to maintain his current winning streak when he returns in the main event of ONE Fight Night 24. The strawweight MMA contender already has some big wins on his record but Aug. 2 sees him make the jump to the top of the division.

With the champion, Joshua Pacio, currently recovering from an injury, an interim world champion will be crowned at Lumpinee Stadium. Balart is set to take on former titleholder Jarred Brooks in a fight that he is approaching with a simple and focused mentality.

This fight means nothing more to him than the next hurdle he faces on his way to becoming the world champion. Brooks presents a very difficult test for him but if he can't get past 'The Monkey God', it will be a long road back to title contention.

In a recent interview with ONE Championship, the Cuban athlete said that this fight is his ticket to the ultimate prize of becoming the king of the strawweights:

"Winning the interim belt will give me a chance to face whoever is next on the list, including the undisputed champion. My job is to try to be the new champion, and to do that, I need to defeat anyone in my path."

Gustavo Balart will be tested in this fight

In former champion Jarred Brooks, Gustavo Balart may be facing his toughest opponent to date.

Both men bring grappling pedigree into this match-up and whilst Balart tends to combine his wrestling with powerful and explosive strikes, Brooks takes a different approach.

His combination of relentless cardio and output mixed with some submission skills makes him a difficult opponent at all times but especially once the fight goes past the opening rounds.

You can be sure that he will be ready to go the full five rounds so the emphasis is on Balart to make his impact early if he can.

ONE Fight Night 24 will air live in US Primetime, free of charge for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

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