"It's not the size of the boat" - Jarred Brooks impressed by "pocket-rocket" Gustavo Balart's relentless tenacity
Jarred Brooks firmly believes that it's not the size of the dog in a fight that matters.
With that in mind, 'The Monkey God' is quite impressed with the man he'll share the ring with in the main event of ONE Fight Night 24 on August 2.
The interim strawweight MMA world title will be on the line, as Brooks looks to reclaim 26 pounds of gold against streaking second-ranked contender Gustavo Balart at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
At just 4-foot-11, Balart is indeed one of the shortest fighters in the promotion. However, don't let the Cuban's small stature fool you. The American Top Team is a walking bundle of muscle with an Olympic wrestling pedigree.
Jarred Brooks, for his part, is enamored with how Balart relentlessly edges out his foes despite being at a size disadvantage for most of the time.
The former strawweight MMA world champion told Sportskeeda MMA in an exclusive interview:
"For sure. I mean some people say it's not the size of the boat, but the motion of the ocean. And yeah, this definitely applies to him. He's got good motion and he always puts in the work, the discipline, and things needed for winning."
After three straight setbacks in the world's largest martial arts organization, Balart rose like a phoenix and went on a four-fight winning streak.
'El Gladiator' loves to push the pace, which should no doubt match well with Brooks' pedal-to-the-metal style.
Jarred Brooks says Gustavo Balart deserves title shot
With current strawweight MMA king Joshua Pacio out due to a knee injury, it only makes sense for the last man to beat him, Jarred Brooks, to vie for the interim strap.
While the stacked 125-pound division is littered with talent, Brooks believes Balart paid his dues and is the rightful contender for 26 pounds of gold.
'The Monkey God' added:
"I know a little bit about Gustavo, too. I know about his backstory, and he deserves the interim world title shot. 100 percent he deserves to fight me. So super excited, I hope he's preparing hard."
ONE Fight Night 24 will air live in US primetime, free of charge for Prime Video subscribers in North America