"You gotta watch out" - Jarred Brooks says he can't afford to be complacent against pitbull-like opponent Gustavo Balart
Jarred Brooks is always confident in his abilities when he steps inside the circle to compete. 'The Monkey God' believes himself to be the best in the strawweight MMA division and up until his last fight, he had proof of that.
Brooks wasn't beaten for his title but it did exchange hands via a disqualification after he illegally spiked Joshua Pacio at ONE 166. Now, he's on the path to win it back by claiming the interim MMA title to secure a huge trilogy fight with Pacio once he is cleared to fight again.
In the main event of ONE Fight Night 24, the former champion will take on Gustavo Balart on August 2.
Despite still believing that he is the best of the strawweights by some distance, Brooks isn't letting this affect his preparations or mindset ahead of this fight. He knows that Balart is a dangerous opponent who will be bringing everything he has to Lumpinee Stadium.
In a recent interview with FightWave, he spoke about being wary of the power that will be coming back at him on fight night:
"Gustavo is a pitbull though. You gotta watch out. He'll throw a million strikes that are coming at you at a million miles an hour, and they're powerful in every minute of that fight."
Watch the full interview below:
Jarred Brooks has a track record for thriving under pressure
Jarred Brooks has proven during his time in ONE Championship that he often rises to the occasion.
Aside from his last fight which ended in disappointing fashion, 'The Monkey God' has stepped up to the plate and delivered each time.
Gustavo Balart brings a unique threat to the former champion but dealing with different styles is something that Brooks has evidence for.
Winning the interim title takes him a step closer to his ultimate goal of reclaiming the top spot in the division.
ONE Fight Night 24 will air live in US primetime, free of charge for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.