"A bitter pill to swallow" - Bokang Masunyane recalls losing his undefeated record to interim strawweight champ Jarred Brooks

Bokang Masunyane never tasted defeat at both the amateur and professional level up until he shared the circle with Jarred Brooks.

'Little Giant' proved he's ready for the bright lights after winning his first two matches in the world's largest martial arts organization against Ryuto Sawada and Rene Catalan.

This set him up for a world title eliminator against an equally red-hot Brooks at ONE 156 back in 2022.

While Bokang Masunyane was used to imposing his will against all his past foes, he was unable to do so against 'The Monkey God' who brought forth overwhelming pressure.

It all went downhill for the South American star after Brooks got his back and eventually choked him out unconscious.

Speaking in a ONE Championship interview, Masunyane recalled the humbling setback and how it helped him become a much better athlete:

"Losing against Jarred Brooks was a bitter pill to swallow. It was my only loss and I had to go back home, fix a lot of stuff, and make sure that I was mentally and physically prepared. I felt like the weight cut played a role, so I made changes to that and to my diet and everything, so leading up to the other fights it was much easier for me."

Rewatch Brooks versus Masunyane:

---

Bokang Masunyane expects to run circles against Mansur Malachiev

Bokang Masunyane has rebounded with two straight victories since falling short against Brooks.

The second-ranked strawweight MMA contender could potentially set up a rematch with interim strawweight MMA kingpin if he gets past fellow ranked foe Mansur Malachiev this Friday.

In the same interview, 'Little Giant' explained why his speed advantage against the Dagestani wrestler will spell the difference:

"I can always take the fight into the deep end. And I feel my speed and agility is going to play a big factor in winning this fight."

ONE Fight Night 25 will air live in US primetime on Oct. 4 from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. This event is free of charge for Prime Video subscribers in North America.