“They're so respectful” - Jarred Brooks shows love for martial arts culture in Asia
American mixed martial arts fighter Jarred Brooks has spent a fair share of time in Asia since coming on board ONE Championshi and has grown to appreciate the martial arts culture in the region. In particular, he is impressed with how athletes view one another with respect.
'The Monkey God' made his ONE debut in November 2021 and has made quite a ripple in the strawweight MMA division, becoming world champion until he lost the belt in his last match.
But apart from basking in the competition, another thing that has Jarred Brooks enjoying competing in Asia is the camaraderie that exists among fighters and the high regard for each one's abilities.
He moved to highlight it in an interview with the South China Morning Post, saying:
"That's the thing I love about Asia and a lot of other parts of the country that I've been to. Their whole structure in their country is martial arts, and they're so respectful. You don't see people sh***ing on each other."
Check out what he had to say below:
Jarred Brooks returns to action on Aug. 2 at ONE Fight Night 24 on Prime Video, where he will vie for the interim ONE strawweight MMA world title against veteran Cuban fighter Gustavo Balart.
It will be the headling contest of the event that will emanate from the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and will be available live and for free on U.S. primetime to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Heading into the ONE Fight Night 24, Brooks will have a chip on his shoulder after losing the strawweight MMA belt to Filipino rival Joshua Pacio in their title rematch back in March by disqualification after he performed an illegal spike.
ONE Championship is having an interim strawweight championship match because Pacio is out indefinitely after sustaining an ACL injury.
Jarred Brooks expects tough challenge from Gustavo Balart at ONE Fight Night 24
Jarred Brooks is expecting a tough challenge from Gustavo Balart when they lock horns for the interim ONE strawweight MMA world title at ONE Fight Night 24 on Prime Video on Aug. 2 in Thailand.
'The Monkey God' said 'El Gladiador' has the skill set to be a handful while also packing a lot momentum, making him every bit dangerous come fight night.
Speaking to Sportskeeda MMA in an exclusive interview, Jarred Brooks said of Balart:
"Gustavo Balart is no joke. He's on a four-fight winning streak, he's fought in the flyweight division, he's not afraid of anybody. Even though he's 4-foot-11, wait ... I don't know about that, I think he's lying about that. He might be 4-foot-10 ... but yeah, he's good."
The winner between Brooks and Balart at ONE Fight Night 24 gets a shot at reigning divisional king Joshua Pacio in a unification fight next once he is healthy.