Jarred Brooks explains why he'd be a 'hard matchup' for Mansur Malachiev: "I'm sneaky and I can sub you from anywhere
Jarred Brooks recently explained why he'd be a hard matchup to contend with after Mansur Malachiev called him out earlier this month.
The newly-crowned ONE interim strawweight world champion is ready to take on any contender who believes they could be the next champion. Luckily for us, Brooks doesn't have to look beyond the top three.
Russian standout Mansur Malachiev has climbed to the No. 2 spot, after defeating Bokang Masunyane on Oct. 4 at ONE Fight Night 25. The pivotal victory may have just earned him a shot at Brooks, but only if the current champion, 'The Passion' Joshua Pacio, doesn't bounce back from his injury.
Speaking to Sportskeeda MMA about the potentiality of a Brooks-Malachiev grappling war, the American superstar said:
"Malachiev has a hard overall style to fight. But I am a very hard matchup for him. I have got hands, I'm sneaky and I can sub you from anywhere."
Indeed, Jarred Brooks is in the best shape he's ever been. In addition to his excellent ground game, he's included boxing, Muay Thai, and kickboxing to his arsenal, which is something Mansur Malachiev might have problems with, since he leans more heavily on his wrestling.
At the end of the day, this is MMA. Anything can happen when you put two different schools of wrestling together.
"It's the first time he's ever been submitted" - Jarred Brooks reflects upon his astonishing first-round stoppage against a former Olympic Wrestler
Jarred Brooks is on top of the mountain again after putting on a show this past August at ONE Fight Night 24.
That night, he fought former Olympic wrestler Gustavo Balart in a five-round tilt for the ONE interim strawweight world title. Although the Cuban-native isn't known to be a finisher, he made a career in besting opponents with his insane grappling skills.
However, Brooks was proved to be levels ahead of his rival, finishing him with a beautiful rear-naked choke in the first round.
Reflecting upon his victory against such a world-renowned athlete, Brooks told ONE:
"It's the first time that he's ever been submitted, and I'm glad that I could be that guy."