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Jarred Brooks believes Sanzhar Zakirov will become a legitimate title contender in the ONE strawweight MMA division with a win in his upcoming fight.
In August 2023, Zakirov made his promotional debut, defeating Dave Bangguigui (third-round knockout) at ONE Friday Fights 28. Since then, the Uzbekistan-born strawweight has secured wins on the ONE Friday Fights circuit against Zaiundin Sulleimanov (unanimous decision) and Ryosuke Honda (second-round knockout).
On September 6, Zakirov will make his debut on the main roster during the highly-anticipated ONE 168: Denver. 'Tornado' is scheduled to fight No.4-ranked contender Hiroba Minowa, who is coming off a split decision win against Jeremy Miado.
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During an interview with Sportskeeda, interim strawweight MMA world champion Jarred Brooks had this to say about Zakirov:
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"I'm paying attention to that Zakirov and Hiroba fight as well. I'm a champion that doesn't sway away from good fights. For me, you know, I like tough fights, and I know that Zakirov is a tough fight. He's young, he's he's on the edge of of being a superstar."
Jarred Brooks' previously mentioned interview took place following ONE Fight Night 24. Brooks fought Gustavo Balart in the main event and locked in a first-round rear-naked choke to become the ONE interim strawweight MMA title holder.
North American and Canadian viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can see the replay of ONE Fight Night 24.
Watch Brooks' entire interview with Sportskeeda below:
Potential opponents for Jarred Brooks' next fight
Jarred Brooks' win against Gustavo Balart ensured he would face Joshua Pacio for undisputed gold. However, Pacio is sidelined for the next few months due to a torn ACL, which could lead to Brooks fighting another opponent in the meantime.
Following ONE Fight Night 24, 'The Monkey God' called for a super-fight against ONE flyweight MMA world champion Demetrious Johnson. The matchup would be intriguing, but Johnson hasn't announced if he will fight again before retiring.
Meanwhile, the only other option for Brooks would be the winner of Hiroba Minowa vs Sanzhar Zakirov. It'll be intriguing to see if either strawweight can make a statement on September 6 at ONE 168: Denver.
