Lito Adiwang thinks what Jarred Brooks lacks in size, he makes up for in skill and heart.
After making a name for himself in the strawweight MMA division, capturing the undisputed ONE world title before becoming the reigning interim ONE strawweight MMA world champion, 'The Monkey Gold' will move up to flyweight for a clash with fourth-ranked contender Reece 'Lightning' McLaren.
Brooks vs. McLaren will go down inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand when ONE Championship presents its latest offering on Amazon Prime Video — ONE Fight Night 26.
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Looking ahead to their highly anticipated clash inside the Mecca of Muay Thai, Adiwang offered his take on Brooks' move up a weight class.
"Jarred is a small flyweight. When I fought him, I was surprised that he was that small," Adiwang told Sportskeeda MMA in an exclusive interview. "However, in terms of skill and heart, he’s really big. It will be good to see how Jarred will deal with Reece’s length and weight advantages."
Could the winner of Jarred Brooks vs. Reece McLaren compete for the flyweight MMA title in 2025?
With the ONE flyweight MMA world championship vacant following Demetrious Johnson's retirement at ONE 168: Denver, Brooks vs. McLaren could potentially present the division with a new title contender.
Former eight-time titleholder Adriano Moraes has already established himself as the top-ranked contender in the flyweight MMA division via a first-round submission victory over Danny Kingad in November.
Could the winner between Jarred Brooks and Reece McLaren set themselves for a flyweight title opportunity against 'Mikinho' in 2025?
McLaren certainly hopes so.
“Securing [a World Title shot] would be a good affirmation, but winning that World Title would mean absolutely everything,” McLaren told ONE.
Who comes out when two of the best in their respective divisions collide on martial arts' biggest global stage?
Fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE Fight Night 26 live on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, Dec. 6 in U.S. primetime.