"It's going to be different" - Jarred Brooks admits he has trained with extra caution to prep for 'little guy' Gustavo Balart
Jarred Brooks is well aware of what Gustavo Balart brings to the table, and having watched him top one foe after another, 'The Monkey God' refuses to take anything for granted ahead of their five-round tilt at ONE Fight Night 24.
That evening, the ONE interim strawweight MMA world title will be up for grabs when the two ranked contenders collide in the main event of the Aug. 2 bill inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
As he continues to find a way to work around 'El Gladiador's' strengths, the former divisional king is also making sure that he keeps his mental game in check, just to be extra prepared in case things get a little bit messy in their world title fixture.
Speaking to the South China Morning Post, Brooks offered insight into his mental preparation, further explaining why he cannot rule out the 4-foot-11 livewire. He said:
"So I very carefully have put a lot of mental strategy into this fight because I know it's going to be different than any other fight that I have. He's a little guy. And I know that I went against Bokang Masunyane, but one round doesn't show anything."
Watch the full interview here:
Heading into this showdown, the 31-year-old Indiana native is riding on a two-match losing streak to Mikey Musumeci (submission grappling) and Joshua Pacio.
Before that, 'The Monkey God' impressed in his first four under the promotional banner against Lito Adiwang, Hiroba Minowa, Bokang Masunyane, and Joshua Pacio.
Jarred Brooks-Gustavo Balart and Danielle Kelly-Mayssa Bastos world title fights lead the star-studded card on August 2
Before Jarred Brooks and Balart open their rivalry, another ONE gold will be on the line in the co-main event when Danielle Kelly squares off against eight-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Mayssa Bastos.
The ONE atomweight submission grappling world champion will put her gold on the line for the first time since dominantly winning the crown over longtime nemesis Jessa Khan.
Bastos, meanwhile, returns for her second match inside the Circle after successfully opening her promotional account at ONE Fight Night 20 this past March.
North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can catch the entire ONE Fight Night 24 card live in U.S. primetime for free on Aug. 2.