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Reece McLaren issues a backhanded compliment to his upcoming opponent, Jarred Brooks.
Over the last decade, McLaren has become one of the longest-tenured fighters in ONE Championship, leading to a promotional record of 10-6. The 33-year-old now looks to continue building momentum after defeating Hu Yong in May.
On December 6, McLaren will welcome ONE interim strawweight MMA world champion Jarred Brooks to the flyweight division. Brooks enters the ONE Fight Night 26 matchup after an impressive first-round submission against Gustavo Balart earlier this year.
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During an interview with Sportskeeda, McLaren was asked about what makes Brooks a dangerous opponent. He responded by saying:
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"His fitness. His fitness for, sure, and his wrestling and his speed. He's [really] fast. Gravity doesn’t affect people that small."
Reece McLaren vs. Jarred Brooks goes inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Prime Video subscribers in North America can watch ONE Fight Night 26, which features two world title fights, live and for free as it happens in US Primetime.
Jarred Brooks downplays size disadvantage against Reece McLaren
Jarred Brooks has dominated the ONE strawweight MMA division, establishing a promotional record of 5-1. Brooks' lone loss in the division was against Joshua Pacio, with the American superstar being disqualified due to an illegal slam.
Brooks has a tough challenge waiting for him at ONE Fight Night 26. Despite being a world-class grappler, 'The Monkey God' must overcome a height and wingspan disadvantage against Reece McLaren.
During an interview with The MMA Superfan, Brooks had this to say about working with bigger training partners:
"I've been getting a lot of black eyes. I've been getting punched pretty hard by like 190-200-pound guys. But I don't give a crap, man."
The ONE flyweight MMA division doesn't have a world champion following Demetrious Johnson's retirement. Therefore, the winner of Reece McLaren vs. Jarred Brooks could find themselves fighting for the throne in early 2025.
At ONE 169, former flyweight king Adriano Moraes showcased why he deserves the opportunity by securing a second-round submission against Danny Kingad.
Watch Brooks' entire interview with The MMA Superfan below:
