Former ONE strawweight MMA world champion Jarred Brooks sees an alarming trend each time Gustavo Balart fights. Regardless if it's intentional or not, 'The Monkey God' claims his upcoming opponent often headbutts his foes during striking exchanges.
An interim strawweight MMA world champion will be crowned on August 2, when Brooks and Balart lock horns at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand in the main event of ONE Fight Night 24.
After doing his due diligence, Jarred Brooks concluded his observation of 'El Gladiador' in an interview with the South China Morning Post:
"A lot of little guys, they lead with their head because they go in for a shot after. I have a different kind of style compared to Gustavo."
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The Mash Fight Team standout continued:
"He leads with his head. He hits, literally headbutts every opponent, and then he rocks them. If you watch the Ryuto Sawada fight, before he hit those hard knees, he hit him in the head with his head. I'm not calling Gustavo a cheater, but he might use that to his play here in the ring."
To be fair, Balart stands a mere 4-foot-11, putting him at a height disadvantage against almost anyone he faces.
The Cuban wrestler ducks each time he throws his haymakers and overhand rights, which likely results in the inadvertent clash of heads.
Watch the full interview:
Jarred Brooks says Gustavo Balart's striking is rudimentary
While Jarred Brooks will watch out for Balart's elite Greco-Roman wrestling pedigree, he's not worried at all about trading strikes.
After all, the former champ is extremely confident with his hands, an area he believes 'El Gladiador' will be at a distinct disadvantage.
'The Monkey God' told ONE in an earlier interview:
"He's very beatable. You could catch him with a kick to the body or a kick to the head. I think the kicks are going to be a big factor in this fight."
Prime Video subscribers in North America can watch ONE Fight Night 24 free, as it happens live in US Primetime.