“Tossed him around like a salad” - Jarred Brooks unbothered by Reece McLaren’s grappling after strangling Gustavo Balart
After submitting Gustavo Balart with relative ease, Jarred Brooks isn't concerned with Reece McLaren's ground game.
A few short months removed from his interim ONE strawweight MMA world title-winning performance against 'El Gladiador' at ONE Fight Night 24, 'The Monkey God' moves up to the flyweight division for a showdown with the division's fourth-ranked contender — Reece McLaren.
Brooks vs. McLaren will feature as part of a loaded ONE Fight Night 26 card on Friday, Dec. 6 when ONE Championship heads back to the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Speaking with The MMA Superfan ahead of their high-stakes clash, Brooks made it clear that he has no concerns over putting his grappling skills to the test against the Aussie.
"Well, I mean, I've seen him go against other guys, and he's been successful and stuff like that," Brooks said. "But I mean, until I feel you, I don't know how good of a wrestler you are at the end of the day. And I think I proved that when I went against an Olympic champion in my last fight [Gustavo Balart], and I tossed him around like he was a salad."
Could Jarred Brooks vs. Reece McLaren be a flyweight MMA title eliminator?
With Jarred Brooks already holding the interim ONE strawweight world title, 'The Monkey God' could take a big step toward becoming a two-division champion with a win over Reece McLaren at ONE Fight Night 26.
Former ONE flyweight MMA world champion Demetrious Johnson announced his retirement from the sport in September, vacating his 26 pounds of gold in the process.
With former eight-time titleholder Adriano Moraes earning a big win over Danny Kingad at ONE 169, Brooks vs. McLaren could end up being a title eliminator, pitting the winner against Moraes for the flyweight MMA crown in 2025
Of course, that's nothing more than speculation at this point, but a future fight between Jarred Brooks and Adriano Moraes sounds pretty damn exciting.
Fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE Fight Night 26 live on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, Dec. 6 in U.S. primetime.