ALL Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks wanted was to complete his trilogy with Joshua “The Passion” Pacio for the ONE Strawweight MMA World Championship.
But with the Filipino king sidelined due to an ACL injury, the brash American’s fate took him on another path.
“Things happen in life and you just got to adapt. Just like in a fight, somebody kicks you in the head, you got to adapt and kick harder and try to win that personal fight,” he said.
Now, Brooks turns his attention to no. 3-ranked strawweight Gustavo “El Gladiator” Balart as they collide for the Interim World Title at ONE Fight Night 24 on August 3 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
It’s a monumental challenge for Brooks who will test his grappling game against the Cuban wrestler.
He has proven himself capable on the ground, as seen in his past matches versus Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang at ONE: NextGen III and against no. 2 Bokang “Little Giant” Masunyane at ONE 156: Eersel vs. Sadikovic.
But he understands the different threat that Balart poses being a former Olympian.
“You just got to mix things up,” he said. “When you mix up your qualities and the things in your tool set, you can take away things. It’s the same thing with Gustavo, I think I’m gonna take away more than he’s gonna give, and I’m gonna give more than he’s taking away in this matchup.”
He furthered: “This isn’t wrestling, this is mixed martial arts. He can predominantly use his overhand and do the things he does to dominate an opponent, but I’m a different kind of animal and I already know what he’s gonna do with me.”
With Pacio intently watching from the sidelines, Brooks is hopeful that the Filipino fans back him up for this match, believing that he has already done enough to earn their respect.
“I love all my kuyas and all the support that I can get, that’s all that matters. The people who support me, I love you to death, you’re my family no matter where you are in the world. If you support me, you’re my family. And I hope to get your support, that would be amazing,” he said.
Fight Game Asia 