Jarred Brooks doesn't see Mansur Malachiev posing much of a threat at the top of the strawweight division.
ONE Fight Night 25 saw Malachiev score a big win over fellow top-five contender Bokang Masunyane, putting him in line for a potential clash with either Brooks—the interim ONE flyweight MMA world champion—or Joshua Pacio—the undisputed ONE flyweight MMA world titleholder.
Chances are, we'll see Brooks and Pacio settle things in a unification clash first, but that all depends on how fast 'The Passion' recovers from surgery to repair an ACL injury following his clash with Jarred Brooks at ONE 166: Qatar.
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Depending on how that plays out, Brooks could find himself tasked with defending his interim crown against Malachiev. If that happens, 'The Monkey God' won't be too concerned about the Russian's seemingly one-sided skill set.
"Mansur is a one-sided fighter but he does it well. This not great at MMA as a whole but the things he is good at, he perfects and hits on everyone."
Mansur Malachiev disagrees with Jarred Brooks' assessment
Of course, Mansur Malachiev doesn't see things that way.
With a fight against 'The Monkey God' inevitable, the Russian star believes he has some advantages that will ultimately see him come out on top against the interim champ.
Malachi told ONE Championship when asked about a potential clash with Brooks:
"I’m sure that I’ve got some advantages and when we fight, I’ll be better. I can beat Brooks. I’m sure it will be a very entertaining fight for the fans.”
How do you see things playing out when Malachiev and Brooks inevitably collide on martial arts' biggest global stage?
If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE Fight Night 25 replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.