Jarred Brooks excited for fresh challenge against Gustavo Balart: “Now I can focus on my adaptations”

Jarred Brooks is excited about fighting someone not named Joshua Pacio.

After losing the ONE strawweight MMA world title via disqualification at ONE 166: Qatar, 'The Monkey God' will have the chance to once again wrap 26 pounds of gold around his waist at ONE Fight Night 24 on Prime Video.

Returning to the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, Brooks will square off with streaking Cuban standout Gustavo Balart for the opportunity to become the interim ONE strawweight MMA world champion.

After spending the last two years of his life competing against Joshua Pacio, Jarred Brooks is excited to welcome a new opponent to the Circle this summer.

"I’m super excited," Jarred Brooks said in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA. "It’s a different opponent other than Joshua Pacio. So, you know, getting used to fighting Joshua for almost two years, and getting prepared for him for almost two years, trying to see his adaptations.

"Now I can focus on my adaptations on me being the better martial artist. And I think it’s going to show on August 2."

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Jarred Brooks is in for a tough test against Gustavo Balart at ONE Fight Night 24

After dominating Pacio for five rounds at ONE 164, 'The Monkey God' handed the strawweight MMA strap right back to the Filipino fan-favorite in Qatar after he inadvertently spiked 'The Passion' on the top of his head during a takedown attempt.

It was a loss that no fighter wants to take, but Jarred Brooks will have the chance to not just reclaim ONE Championship gold in his next out, but he'll also set the stage for a massive trilogy fight with Joshua Pacio — assuming he can get past Gustavo Balart.

That will be no easy task as 'El Gladiador' has looked nothing short of spectacular in his last four outings, defeating the likes of Ryuto Sawada, Yosuke Saruta, Alex Silva, and fourth-ranked contender Hiroba Minowa.

Who takes home interim gold and sets the stage for a title unification clash with undisputed champion Joshua Pacio?

ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE Fight Night 24 live and for free via Amazon Prime Video in U.S. primetime on Friday, August 2.