"A little bit of level changes" - Gustavo Balart predicts how his world title fight with Jarred Brooks unfolds

Gustavo Balart expects to be up against the toughest assignment of his career at ONE Fight Night 24, but it is a challenge that he is eagerly looking forward to.

The Cuban Olympian and third-ranked ONE strawweight MMA contender faces top-ranked Jarred Brooks in the main event of the August 2 bill set to take place inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

There, a chance of a lifetime awaits 'El Gladiador' and 'The Monkey God' as the victor will lay their hands on the ONE interim strawweight MMA world title that will be on the line to set up a unification war with Joshua Pacio.

Despite having one eye on the 26 pounds of gold that has eluded him thus far, Gustavo Balart knows he cannot take anything for granted against the Mash Fight Team affiliate.

In his opinion, his scheduled five-round scrap with the American athlete could be one that would test him to the fullest – be it striking or grappling.

The American Top Team star had this to say during an interview with SerEbro EnlosDeportes:

"I cannot just take to the floor and control this fight. I believe we will have a little bit of level changes or blows in the fight. We will defend takedowns and maybe have a good striking [contest]."

Watch the full interview here:

North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can catch the entire ONE Fight Night 24 card live in U.S. primetime for free on Friday, August 2.

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Gustavo Balart's heart has made him a fan-favorite in ONE Championship

If there's one thing that has placed Gustavo Balart on the brink of creating history on the global stage of ONE Championship next month, it's his determination and never-say-die attitude.

The 4-foot-11 warrior struggled to find his feet in his debut year in the promotion, succumbing to a trio of defeats to Tatsumitsu Wada, Chan Rothana, and Robin Catalan.

Still, he refused to raise the white flag in his bid to attain MMA glory. Now, he's reaping the rewards of his constant hard work despite COVID-19 and a couple of factors putting him away from competition for an extended period.

He attained his first victory under the promotional spotlight against Ryuto Sawada at ONE: Battleground in July 2021, and he's picked up three in a row since – against Yosuke Saruta, former divisional king Alex Silva, and Hiroba Minowa.

The Cuban hopes to continue his momentum with another big win at ONE Fight Night 24.