“His wrestling helps set up his striking” - Rich Franklin commends Gustavo Balart’s world-class grappling

Rich Franklin voiced his respect for Gustavo Balart's grappling skills.

At ONE Fight Night 24, Balart looks to secure the biggest win of his fighting career when faces Jarred Brooks in a five-round main event. 'El Gladiator' will face an intriguing stylistic matchup against the former ONE strawweight MMA world champion, as Brooks has the skills to challenge Balart's world-class wrestling.

During an interview with the promotion, ONE Championship vice president Rich Franklin was asked about Brooks vs. Balart. The highly respected MMA legend had this to say about the Cuban strawweight's grappling skills:

“His wrestling helps set up his striking because he can land on entry or typically keep his opponents from committing to their combinations, allowing Balart to throw. This allowed Balart to work past the 3-inch height advantage Minowa had.”

Jarred Brooks vs Gustavo Balart will headline ONE Fight Night 24 on Friday, August 2. The upcoming event inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium can be seen live and for free by American and Canadian viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

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Gustavo Balart ready to continue comeback story with win against Jarred Brooks

Gustavo Balart first fought under the ONE Championship banner in April 2019 when he suffered a unanimous decision loss against Tatsumitsu Wada. The Cuban strawweight followed up the disappointing performance with two more losses, creating a disastrous start to his promotional tenure.

Since then, Balart solidified himself as a top contender in the division by securing four consecutive wins. At ONE Fight Night 24, 'El Gladiator' looks to continue building momentum by defeating former ONE strawweight MMA world champion Jarred Brooks.

Unfortunately, Balart won't be eligible to become the interim strawweight MMA world champion on Friday. The 37-year-old failed to simultaneously make weight and pass his hydration test, making Brooks the only one between them eligible to win ONE gold later this week.

Nonetheless, Balart and Brooks are also fighting for an opportunity to face Joshua Pacio for the undisputed throne in late 2024 or early 2025. Pacio suffered a torn ACL while preparing for an expected trilogy bout against Brooks.