Jarred Brooks believes his grappling will be key vs Gustavo Balart: “I will hold you there, and keep your little a** there”
Jarred Brooks believes his wrestling will be key to besting Cuban sensation Gustavo Balart.
Returning to the legendary Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, August 2, 'The Monkey God' will look to once again wrap ONE Championship gold around his waist after surrendering the ONE strawweight MMA world title to Joshua Pacio via an unfortunate disqualification in Qatar.
Stepping back into the spotlight at ONE Fight Night 24 on Prime Video, Brooks will square off with Balart to crown an interim ONE strawweight MMA titleholder.
Speaking with Sportskeeda MMA in an exclusive interview, Jarred Brooks shared some insight into his game plan, suggesting that Balart won't be able to hang with his world-class grappling.
"If you watched me go against Bokang Masunyane, I got his back really quick and I stayed there," Brooks said. "And I think Gustavo, for one, has never been on his back like that. I know that he went against Alex Silva, and he’s a great black belt, a multi-time world champion and all."
He added:
"So I do see him getting out of positions. But he has never been held in a fight like me. I will hold you there, and keep your little a** there. I’m gonna squeeze you down and hold you there."
Gustavo Balart ready to make the most of his opportunity against Jarred Brooks
Sitting as the third-ranked contender in the strawweight MMA division, Gustavo Balart has looked nothing short of impressive in his last four outings, coming out on top against a slew of solid names—including Japanese star Hiroba Minowa.
'El Gladiador' secured a big split decision win over Minowa at ONE 165 in Tokyo, setting the stage for his clash with Jarred Brooks at ONE Fight Nigh 24.
"This is a big dream of mine that I have been working for many years," Balart said in an interview with SerEbro EnlosDeportes. "It’s a dream, but I’ve had to build this career to be able to achieve it. Now, I’m close to achieving it, and for me, it would be a very great achievement not only for me, but for the young people of Cuba."
Who leaves the Mecca of Muay Thai with interim gold and a future date with undisputed strawweight MMA titleholder 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.