“I cannot deny his skill” - Reece McLaren admits he holds Jarred Brooks in high regard despite animosity 

Despite their animosity toward one another, Reece McLaren recognizes that Jarred Brooks is one hell of a fighter.

Closing in on a potential shot at the vacant ONE flyweight MMA world title, McLaren returns to the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, December 6 for a high-stakes scrap against 'The Monkey God' at ONE Fight Night 26 on Prime Video.

McLaren rides into his second appearance of 2024 having won three of his last four, including wins over Xie Wei, Windson Ramos, and Hu Yong. But with all due respect to those athletes, none of them pose a threat as significant as the one Jarred Brooks brings every time he steps onto martial arts' biggest global stage.

Speaking with ONE Championship ahead of their highly anticipated clash, McLaren admitted that he has much respect for Brooks as an athlete — even if the two have been lobbing verbal jabs at one another.

“He is a current World Champion and a World Champion for a reason. I cannot deny his skill. He is an awesome fighter, I think."

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Reece McLaren plans to put on a display of violence at ONE Fight Night 26

Sitting as the fourth-ranked contender in ONE's loaded flyweight MMA division, Reece McLaren plans on making a very violent statement when he steps inside the ring with Brooks.

"He's [Brooks] probably not gonna be fighting the best Reece, but he's definitely as hell going to be fighting the most violent. I can guarantee violence."

Of course, getting a win over 'The Monkey God' is no easy task. Thus far, only undisputed ONE flyweight MMA world titleholder Joshua Pacio has managed to do it — though that came via a disqualification less than 60 seconds into their showdown at ONE 166 in Qatar.

Will McLaren land the biggest W of his career at ONE Fight Night 26, or will Jarred Brooks take a step toward becoming a two-division world champion one day?

Fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE Fight Night 26 live on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, December 6 in U.S. primetime.