“That's what I looked up to” - Jarred Brooks lists Mount Rushmore of fighters he idolized early in his career

Former ONE strawweight MMA world champion and current first-ranked contender 'The Monkey God' Jarred Brooks of the United States grew up idolizing some amazing legends as he attempted to follow in their footsteps.

'The Monkey God' combines sublime skill with electric charisma, following the blueprint of those who came before him.

Speaking to the South China Morning Post in a recent interview, Brooks threw out a laundry list of legendary names he looked up to early in his career.

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'The Monkey God' said:

"And that's what made me really want to tackle this sport and tackle any obstacle in front of me, because of people like Cael [Sanderson], people like Brent Metcalf, these wrestlers, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, even though he was more of a disrespectful fighter at the same time, I understood that at a young age that he wasn't really like that."

Brooks continued:

"I loved fighters because of that, that actually wanted to put almost a front and you're putting more chips on the table for yourself and your career. And that's what I looked up to."

Today, Brooks is one of the most entertaining MMA fighters in the world in and out of the cage, and is looking to carve his own legacy in the sport.

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Jarred Brooks looks to become ONE world champion again with victory over Gustavo Balart at ONE Fight Night 24

'The Monkey God' Jarred Brooks is getting ready to square off with third-ranked strawweight MMA contender and former Cuban Olympic wrestler 'El Gladiador' Gustavo Balart.

The two lock horns for the ONE interim strawweight MMA world title in the main event of ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart on Prime Video, which broadcasts live from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, August 2.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription. Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event as it happens.

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