"It has been a huge sacrifice for me" - Gustavo Balart on leaving Cuba to pursue dream of becoming an MMA world champion

Gustavo Balart has given up too much along this road to not give ONE Fight Night 24 absolutely everything he's got.

Any MMA fighter will be able to tell you about the sacrifices they have made in order to make a better life for them and their loved ones.

The same can be said for Balart who came to martial arts through his extensive wrestling background where he represented his home of Cuba at the Olympics.

With the dream of achieving success in MMA, this goal meant that he would have to leave his family at home in order to dedicate himself to training in the United States.

His family are a constant motivator and on August 2, he gets the opportunity to deliver on this commitment.

The strawweight division will crown an interim champion when Balart steps inside Lumpinee Stadium to face former champ Jarred Brooks in the main event.

Ahead of his return, Balart spoke in a recent interview with ONE Championship about the time that he has spent away from home:

"I have been here in the U.S. without my family for eight years. I came here in 2016. It has been a huge sacrifice for me. I have my family in my mind every second of the day."

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Gustavo Balart fights from a deep source of motivation

With his family constantly in his mind, Gustavo Balart knows that they're supporting him and through his success, he can help to support them also.

His opponent, Jarred Brooks, who has had his own mentality changed by becoming a father, has a similar mindset going into this fight.

Neither man is going to have an ounce of quit in them with that kind of motivation backing them up so it's sure to be a real battle come August 2.

ONE Fight Night 24 will air live in US Primetime, free of charge for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.