ONE Fight Night 24: Jarred Brooks believes he'll be able to tap Gustavo Balart deep into their world title tilt
Jarred Brooks is confident Gustavo Balart will eventually fall victim to his submission skills deep into their tie if he manages to withstand any early onslaught.
The pair go toe-to-toe in the main event of ONE Fight Night 24, where they'll duke it out to determine the ONE interim strawweight MMA world champion.
Speaking to the promotion before his Lumpinee Stadium matchup on August 2, Jarred Brooks said:
"If we do end up in those later rounds, he's definitely getting tapped."
This isn't anything surprising from the former divisional king. The Mash Fight Team affiliate does his best work there, and coupled with Balart's lack of submission finishes, 'The Monkey God' certainly isn't biting more than he can chew.
Eight out of his 20 career victories have come via submission, the latest being his rear-naked choke triumph against South Africa's Bokang Masunyane at ONE 156 in April 2022. Meanwhile, in his promotional bow, the American star took out Lito Adiwang with a delicate arm-triangle choke.
North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can catch Brooks vs. Balart and the entire ONE Fight Night 24 card live in U.S. primetime for free this Friday, August 2.
Jarred Brooks' keys to victory over Gustavo Balart
Despite the obvious advantages on his end, Jarred Brooks cannot afford any room for slacking against the always-game No.3-ranked contender.
Still, he'd have plenty of ways to keep the Cuban veteran at bay – on the feet or on the canvas.
'The Monkey God' must utilize his explosiveness to clip the American Top Team affiliate with volume when they trade inside the pocket. This should open up an opportunity for the latter to take the bait, which will allow Brooks to level-change if he wants.
And if he does get the opening to bring the fight to the ground, the former divisional king must stay active from top to prevent 'El Gladiador' from turning the tide and implementing his wrestling-heavy game from Brooks' guard.
If he ticks all the boxes above, Jarred Brooks should have it in him to secure the W with a barrage of ground and pound strikes or a whatever hold, choke, or crank to draw a tap from his opposite number.