ONE Fight Night 24: Jarred Brooks pumped to showcase his striking against tricky Gustavo Balart
Former ONE strawweight MMA world champion Jarred Brooks is eager to showcase a different aspect of his arsenal when he collides against Gustavo Balart in the main event of ONE Fight Night 24 on August 2.
That evening inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, 'The Monkey God' makes his long-awaited return to the Circle with a chance to gain some redemption and claim the division's interim crown at the expense of the in-form Cuban warrior.
While it wouldn't come as much of a surprise if he stuck to his bread and butter – wrestling – to see off the fellow grappling specialist, the Mash Fight Team representative seeks to similarly impress in the stand-up department.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda MMA last week, Jarred Brooks shared:
"I'm super happy to go out there and showcase this side of my game [my striking], especially against someone like Gustavo Balart and the prowess of him."
Though it wouldn't entirely be easy to nullify Balart on the feet, Brooks does possess enough firepower to do damage in that facet of the game.
As he displayed in his world title win over Joshua Pacio inside the Mall of Asia Arena in December 2022, the 31-year-old Indiana native can rely on his striking weapons instead of solely depending on his grappling strengths.
Jarred Brooks says he cannot afford to lose to Gustavo Balart
Jarred Brooks isn't just motivated to right the mistakes from his previous fight and lay his hands on the 26 pounds of gold on offer inside the Mecca of Muay Thai next week.
The American MMA standout also wants to ensure he gets back on track, build his brand, and be a role model to his family at home.
He told the South China Morning Post previously:
"I'll be damned if I let myself get dominated by another man, right? That's not going to happen. I have a family to feed."
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 August 2.