"You hold yourself back" - Jarred Brooks on why handling emotions is a critical part of a martial artist's life
Jarred Brooks always comes into a fight week with fire in his eyes and a point to prove. Since arriving in ONE Championship, the former strawweight champion has made an impact right from the very start.
He's not afraid to say what's on his mind and that has made him into a sometimes controversial but always must-watch fighter.
Whilst he may bring the intensity, this is something that Brooks has become very accustomed to dealing with when under the bright lights.
His ability to remain calm in situations where most would struggle is what makes him so effective and talking a big game ahead of the fight only adds to that.
Ahead of his return at ONE Fight Night 24, Brooks spoke about how keeping yourself in check is a very important aspect of preparing for a fight:
"If you hold that in, that goes into the fight. You subconsciously pull yourself back from a lot and [you] hold yourself back from a lot of things. All these tough guys, macho types, I'm not gonna show anybody that I'm weak."
Jarred Brooks has a lot of respect for Gustavo Balart
Jarred Brooks has not been on the same kind of rampage heading into this next fight on August 2. He's been very respectful of his opponent Gustavo Balart before they meet at Lumpinee Stadium with the interim title on the line.
Brooks has particularly singled out his opponent's wrestling pedigree as something that he massively appreciates before they face off in the main event.
By his own admission, 'The Monkey God' can be an emotional person but this doesn't stop him from blocking out everything he doesn't need to achieve victory inside the cage.
Brooks is a competitor by nature and nothing is going to stop him from being single-minded in his approach.
ONE Fight Night 24 will air live in US Primetime, free of charge for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.