WATCH: Olympic wrestler Gustavo Balart lands a perfect two-step head kick against former strawweight MMA king Yosuke Saruta
The second win of current third-ranked ONE strawweight MMA contender Gustavo Balart's ONE career was against former divisional king Yosuke Saruta in April 2022 at ONE 156, which took place inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
In this fight, Gustavo showcased his refined striking skills and ONE Championship recently reposted one of his best moments during the fight. They captioned the video with:
""El Gladiador" knows how to switch it up 😎 Can the former Olympian become the ONE Interim Strawweight MMA World Champion this Friday when he collides with Jarred Brooks at ONE Fight Night 24 on @primevideo? @gladiador_balart_"
The former Olympic wrestler landed a perfect two-step head kick straight to the neck of 'The Ninja' and caught him off-guard. This momentarily stunned the Japanese star and pushed him backward.
This moment was only a part of the masterful performance that 'El Gladiador' put on as he went on to secure the unanimous decision win against Saruta.
Gustavo Balart squares off against Jarred Brooks at ONE Fight Night 24
Following that fantastic win over the Wajutsu Keishukai Hearts athlete, Gustavo Balart added two more victories to his tally with wins over Alex Silva in October 2022 at ONE 162 and Hiroba Minowa in January 2024 at ONE 165.
The American Top Team representative is now looking to add another former world champion to his pile of wins, as he is scheduled to meet Jarred Brooks on August 2 in the headliner of ONE Fight Night 24 that will take place inside the packed Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Unfortunately, Gustavo Balart failed to pass hydration and weight during the official weigh-in window earlier today, meaning Brooks will be the only eligible fighter to claim the ONE interim strawweight MMA world title and an outright shot for a unification fight with reigning kingpin Joshua Pacio.
ONE Fight Night 24 will air live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America on August 2 during the U.S. primetime.