"That guy has some power" - Jarred Brooks gives props to ONE Fight Night 24 foe Gustavo Balart after thrilling war

Jarred Brooks had spoken a lot in the build-up to ONE Fight Night 24 about showcasing his overall game. 'The Monkey God' is a grappling specialist by trade, but he's always working to become a more well-rounded fighter.

In a match against an opponent like Gustavo Balart, Brooks believed that he may need to implement his striking to secure the win.

However, this wasn't the case on August 2, as he secured multiple takedowns and won the first-round submission to become the interim champion at Lumpinee Stadium.

During his in-ring interview after getting his hand raised, Brooks spoke about how he did plan on striking with his opponent but the game plan changed once he got in there.

The champion complimented his opponent's dangerous power, which led to Brooks once again using his grappling to get across the line:

"There's a difference between thinking you're gonna do something and then when you're in the ring it's completely different. He's small but man, that guy has some power. He definitely has power."

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Jarred Brooks can still take a lot from this performance

Jarred Brooks went as far as to apologize to his striking coaches for not being able to show what they had been working so hard on. At the same time, the interim champ can take a lot of positives from his recent outing.

Repeatedly taking down a former Olympic wrestler is no small feat and not only did he do that, he was able to submit him in the opening round. His striking was unnecessary because Brooks' timing and technique on his takedowns were so good.

He may be improving as a striker, but his best skill set is undoubtedly where he is, and that was on full display in this past weekend's main event clash.

The replay of ONE Fight Night 23 is available on demand for Prime Video subscribers in North America.