Jarred 'The Monkey God' Brooks made one of the best ONE Championship debuts of 2021. The former UFC and Bellator fighter utterly decimated then-No.5 strawweight Lito 'Thunder Kid' Adiwang in under two rounds.
After gaining some heat in light of some social media banter and callouts between both fight camps, the bout itself was surprisingly one-sided. Many thought Adiwang, true to his Team Lakay roots, would outpace the gritty wrestler in Brooks.
The American, however, saw something most didn't as he was never in any trouble against the explosive Filipino.
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Brooks' nifty timing on his takedown and heavy top pressure were key to securing this dominant win. Right off the bat, Brooks was managing his distance well. He was either completely out of range of Adiwang's explosive kicks or inside the pocket to score a takedown. Anywhere in-between could have been catastrophic for him.
Scoring a sneaky double leg in the early seconds of the first round allowed Brooks to establish dominance over his Filipino foe. Controlling most of the round on top, 'The Monkey God' had tremendous momentum heading into round two.
With his confidence skyrocketing after a dominant first round, Brooks didn't waste time in the second frame. The former national wrestling champion shot for a blast double leg that seemingly came from across the cage.
Securing top position once again, Brooks utilized his suffocating grappling en route to a tight submission finish.
Watch the full fight and finish here:
ONE Championship strawweight sensation Jarred Brooks opens the main card of ONE: Only The Brave
After some re-shuffling due to COVID-19 protocols, Jarred Brooks will now open the main card of ONE: Only The Brave. Facing him inside ONE Championship's famed Circle is Hiroba Minowa, who is currently riding a two-fight winning streak in the promotion.
Minowa's last two opponents were Adiwang, who he beat via split decision, and veteran grappler Alex Silva. Minowa famously beat jiu-jitsu ace Silva by thwarting almost all of his grappling attacks. This could mean a lot when facing grappling specialist Brooks.
We just need to tune in on January 28 to see the action and drama unfold.