Jarred Brooks is done playing the villain: “I'm not going to push myself into being the heel anymore”

With a baby on the way, ONE strawweight world champion Jarred Brooks says he’ll be turning a new leaf.

Known best for embracing an antagonistic role and being a thorn in his opponent's side on and off the circle, ‘The Monkey God’ promises to showcase his genuine self from now on.

In a candid interview with the Singapore-based organization, the soon-to-be father said he’ll be more careful with each statement he utters:

“Don't get me wrong, I'll talk shit when somebody talks s**t, but I'm not gonna be that guy that is making me look like a dumb**s to my daughter. So, I'm gonna make sure that everybody is respecting the sport and respecting both athletes.”

Brooks has never felt the need for validation and achieved success on his own terms throughout his stellar MMA career so far.

The Mash Fight Team star holds an impressive 20-2 slate, with his last four victories coming at the expense of world-class competition under the ONE banner.

Moreover, Brooks has been able to walk the talk each time, particularly when he dethroned longtime ONE strawweight world champion Joshua Pacio to become the top dog of the division.

With 26 pounds of gold now in his possession, Brooks understands his responsibility to be a role model through his words and actions. He added:

“I’m game, though, I’m game. If anybody wants to team up and do that, let's go. But like I said, I'm not going to push myself into being the heel anymore.”

Brooks’ new initiative will certainly be tested as he is set to lock horns with perhaps the nicest martial artist in the world today, Mikey Musumeci, at ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs Grigorian on Prime Video.

‘The Monkey God’ will be on the cusp of history if he can capture ‘Darth Rigatoni’s ONE flyweight submission grappling crown and become a two-sport world champion.

ONE Fight Night 13 will emanate from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok on August 4. The entire event is free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in North America.