"I was just as surprised as everyone" - Reece McLaren on getting offer to fight Jarred Brooks

ONE flyweight MMA star Reece McLaren did not expect his next fight to be against ONE interim strawweight MMA world champion Jarred Brooks. They will compete in a flyweight MMA bout at ONE Fight Night 26 on Dec. 6.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, 'Lightning' talked about being offered to fight Brooks inside the hallowed halls of the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand:

"I was just as surprised as everyone else when they said they have a match-up for me, and it's Jarred Brooks. I thought they would have been protecting him and keeping him at strawweight."

Welcoming Brooks to the flyweight MMA division will be an interesting challenge for the long-time 135-pound MMA standout owing to their mastery of the ground game.

While the American has reached the mountaintop of the 125-pound MMA division using his wrestling skills, McLaren's extensive knowledge of Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) could ultimately give him the upset victory over Brooks via submission.

On the other hand, Brooks has shown significant improvement in the striking department in recent performances, which might make McLaren reconsider trading blows with the Mash Fight Team athlete.

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Reece McLaren sings Jarred Brooks' praises ahead of ONE Fight Night 26

Reece McLaren, the fourth-ranked ONE flyweight MMA competitor, displayed immense respect for Jarred Brooks' achievements under the ONE banner during an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA.

The CMBT Training Centre product said:

"Yeah, I think he's amazing. His wrestling is phenomenal. He wins, man. So I mean, come on. He's world champion for a reason. I applaud his skill set very, very, very well. I said to him. I respect your skill set, but stay in your division, bro."

ONE Fight Night 26 will air live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.