“Putting my chips on the board” - Jarred Brooks says his flyweight fight against Reece McLaren has massive career implications
Jarred Brooks believes his next match in ONE Championship could be one of the most pivotal fights he takes in his career.
The ONE interim strawweight MMA world champion will move up a weight class to take on Reece McLaren in a flyweight MMA contest on the stacked ONE Fight Night 26 card this Dec. 6, US primetime, at the historic Lumpinee Stadium.
In an interview with The MMA Superfan, Brooks said moving up to flyweight and taking on the division's No. 4 contender puts him at a great risk.
Jarred Brooks pointed out that the fight is already a gamble, but it's a wager he'd gladly put his chips on.
He said:
"I think that, you know, fighting is a lot like gambling, right? I like to put my chips all on the board. And I think that's what I'm doing right now. I'm putting my chips on the board."
Brooks, a former ONE strawweight MMA world champion, has been adamant about his dreams of two-division supremacy, and a victory over McLaren would give him a massive boost to his goal.
This isn't the first time, though, that Brooks would be fighting at 135 pounds.
He once took a shot at two-sport glory when he challenged Mikey Musumeci for the ONE flyweight submission grappling world championship at ONE Fight Night 13.
It will be intriguing to see how Brooks would operate at flyweight MMA, especially with his level of dominance in his natural division.
After relinquishing the ONE strawweight MMA world title to Joshua Pacio via disqualification at ONE 166, Brooks bounced back against Olympic wrestler Gustavo Balart to capture the division's interim strap.
ONE Fight Night 26 is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Jarred Brooks eyes Adriano Moraes for the vacant flyweight MMA throne
Jarred Brooks and Reece McLaren have yet to face off for their ONE Fight Night 26 showdown, but 'The Monkey God' is already looking at what could be waiting for him after Dec. 6.
In the same interview with The MMA Superfan, Brooks said he'd love to face Brazilian superstar Adriano Moraes for the vacant ONE flyweight MMA world title:
"I think that it's going to be a great blockbuster fight for ONE Championship, too. And I think it's a great opportunity for me to get my hands on Moraes and get my hands on the flyweight title."
Watch Brooks' entire interview below: