Reece McLaren is ready to shut down Jarred Brooks' dreams of two-division glory.
Winner in three of his last four, 'Lightning' will look to make a massive statement this Friday night inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok when he meets reigning ONE strawweight MMA world champion Jarred Brooks in a high-stakes flyweight bout at ONE Fight Night 26 on Prime Video.
Sitting as the fourth-ranked contender in the division, McLaren is ready to make a push toward the flyweight MMA crown which currently lies vacant following Demetrious Johnson's retirement from the sport in September. Standing in his way will be 'The Monkey God' who believes he's more than deserving of a shot at a second title after dominating in his own division.
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However, McLaren is ready to remind Brooks that just because you want something doesn't mean you deserve it.
"That’s the thing with the world, man," McLaren told the Bangkok Post. "No one deserves nothing. You may feel like you’ve earned it, but the world doesn’t care. You just got to win, man. And I’m here to do that."
Jarred Brooks coming for another world title in 2025 and it all starts with landing a win over Reece McLaren
In August, Jarred Brooks once again wrapped 26 pounds of gold around his waist, winning the interim ONE strawweight MMA world title via a first-round submission victory over Gustavo Balart at ONE Fight Night 24.
The win set the stage for a trilogy fight with undisputed strawweight titleholder Joshua Pacio. Unfortunately, Pacio is still sidelined after undergoing ALC surgery earlier this year.
Instead of sitting around waiting for 'The Passion' to heal up, Brooks jumped at the chance to invade the flyweight rankings and set the stage for two-division supremacy.
Will 'The Monkey God' get past McLaren and establish himself as flyweight's newest contender, or will 'Lightning' send Brooks back to strawweight and potentially score his own ONE world title opportunity?
Fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE Fight Night 26 live on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, December 6 in U.S. primetime.