“I need to defeat anyone on my path” - Gustavo Balart says he is destined for world championship greatness
Veteran Cuban fighter Gustavo Balart is highly determined to become a ONE world champion and is willing to take on whoever comes between him and his goal.
'El Gladiador' shoots for his championship dreams when he vies for the interim ONE strawweight MMA world title against former divisional king Jarred Brooks. They will collide at ONE Fight Night 24 on Prime Video on Aug. 2 at the famed Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Speaking to ONE Championship in an interview ahead of his title match, Gustavo Balart shared his mindset to see his world title goals through and significance of the Brooks fight, saying:
"Winning the interim championship would make me a champion and that will get 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 on my path."
Gustavo Balart is packing a lot of momentum heading into ONE Fight Night 24, winning his last four fights. The most recent of his victories was over fellow strawweight contender Hiroba Minowa of Japan by split decision.
Seeking to put a halt to his ascent is Brooks, who is out to get a bounce-back victory after losing the strawweight world title in his last fight in March to Filipino rival Joshua Pacio by disqualification (illegal slam).
ONE Championship is having an interim strawweight champion match because Pacio is out indefinitely after sustaining an ACL injury even before he took on Brooks.
ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart on Prime Video is available live and for free in U.S. primetime to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Gustavo Balart on an impressive turnaround in ONE Championship
Gustavo Balart has impressively turned things around in his ONE Championship journey and with no signs yet of slowing down.
The now-37-year-old Cuban fighter began his ONE campaign with three straight losses before going on an four-fight ascent after to will his way into the top five of the strawweight MMA division.
Balart's breakthrough victory came in July 2021, defeating Ryuto Sawada of Japan by unanimous decision. He followed it up with back-to-back decision wins in 2022 over Japanese Yosuke Saruta (April) and Alex Silva of Brazil (October).
He started 2024 with a split decision win over fellow strawweight contender Hiroba Minowa of Japan.
Gustavo Balart is now looking to make it a weighty fifth straight victory against former strawweight king Jarred Brooks in their clash for the interim strawweight belt at ONE Fight Night 24 on Prime Video on Aug. 2 in Thailand.