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Former ONE strawweight MMA world champion and current first-ranked divisional contender, 'The Monkey God' Jarred Brooks of the United States, says he's ready to showcase his new and improved version and believes upcoming opponent 'El Gladiador' Gustavo Balart will bring out the best in him.
Brooks has admittedly gone soul-searching after his disqualification loss to Joshua Pacio last March at ONE 166 in Qatar, where he surrendered the ONE strawweight MMA gold to his Filipino rival.
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The American has reinvented himself somewhat and is excited to face off against Balart to show off the goods.
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He told Sports Illustrated in a recent interview:
"Gustavo Balart is a great opponent for me to show different skills."
Brooks also believes he's in the best shape of his career, motivated by his family, especially his daughter Naomi. 'The Monkey God', however, thinks Balart may struggle with the weight.
He added:
"I don’t know how many weight cuts his body can take. He’s 145 on a good day. I walk around at 126, and after practice, I’m at 124. I’m not depleting myself, and that’s why I’ll be in this game for a while."
Nevertheless, Brooks plans on putting on a show for fans in Thailand.
Jarred Brooks to face Gustavo Balart in the main event of ONE Fight Night 24 on Prime Video
American star 'The Monkey God' Jarred Brooks is set to fight Cuba's Gustavo Balart. With a victory, he can win the ONE interim strawweight MMA world title.
The two will clash in the main event of ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart on Prime Video, which will air live from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, August 2nd, in U.S. primetime.
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription. Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event.
After this fight, Brooks is eyeing a spot on ONE Championship's upcoming Atlanta card later this year.
He concluded:
"After this fight, I would love to fight on the United States card in November. I want to show how important strawweights are to ONE Championship."
Update: Gustavo Balart missed weight, and only Jarred Brooks is eligible to win the belt.
