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Former ONE strawweight MMA world champion and current first-ranked contender 'The Monkey God' Jarred Brooks of the United States is never one to waste an opportunity to deliver some good old-fashioned trash talk towards his opponents.
But the next man he's in the Circle with, Brooks says, he has much respect for.
Brooks told Sportskeeda MMA in an exclusive interview:
"It’s different here, I view him highly."
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Balart is a three-time Pan-American Greco-Roman wrestling champion, and a quarterfinalist in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, representing his home country of Cuba.
Needless to say, Balart's credentials are legit, and he has dominated the highest levels of wrestling in his home nation for years.
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Today, 'El Gladiador' is a highly accomplished mixed martial artist.
However, Brooks feels that no matter how he will beat Balart in their upcoming showdown, people will still try to discredit his achievements.
'The Monkey God' said:
"When I beat Gustavo, it’s going to be like one of those things where people wave it off, like ‘Oh, he just beat a tiny guy.’ But I’m a small guy myself. I’m not going to be disrespectful to him in that way, but that’s how a lot of people see it. And, you know, if this was Jeremy Miado and I knock him out, people are going to be like, ‘Holy sh*t, he just knocked out this 5-foot-6 guy who could be a featherweight’."
'The Monkey God' Jarred Brooks to face 'El Gladiador' Gustavo Balart for interim gold at ONE Fight Night 24 on Prime Video
Former strawweight MMA king 'The Monkey God' Jarred Brooks is set to face Cuba's 'El Gladiador' Gustavo Balart for the ONE interim strawweight MMA world title in the main event at ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart on Prime Video.
The event broadcasts live from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, August 2nd.
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free on Amazon Prime Video.
