Official: Jarred Brooks, Gustavo Balart to throwdown for interim strawweight title
With reigning ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua Pacio sidelined due to an ACL injury, Jarred Brooks and Gustavo Balart will clash for the interim title.
The #1-ranked contender in Brooks and #3-ranked Balart battle for the belt in the main event of ONE Fight Night 24 on Prime Video. This U.S. primetime event is set to take place at the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on August 2.
Brooks has been a dominant force since his promotional debut in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
“The Monkey God” made an immediate impact by finishing Lito Adiwang in November 2021. He then showcased his prowess by tearing through Hiroba Minowa and Bokang Masunyane. Then he earned a date with Pacio for the World Title.
In December 2022, the American bruiser went head-to-head with Pacio in a grueling five-round battle. In the end, he scored a close unanimous decision to capture the belt from the Filipino superstar.
While waiting for his next challenger, Brooks ventured into a different discipline. He challenged ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion Mikey Musumeci but lost.
He returned to MMA this past March, running it back with Pacio. However, his title defense was marred with controversy.
Brooks was disqualified for an illegal slam just 56 seconds into the first round, allowing “The Passion” to reclaim the throne atop the weight class.
With Pacio now out of action, Brooks has a prime opportunity to retrieve 26 pounds of gold and set up a potential World Title unification trilogy fight next year.
Gustavo Balart looks to sustain momentum over Jarred Brooks
Standing in Jarred Brooks’ way is Gustavo Balart. He’s a former Olympic wrestler from Cuba who has been on a remarkable run.
“The Gladiator” is riding high on a four-fight winning streak. This includes sensational victories over former ONE Strawweight MMA World Champions Alex Silva and Yosuke Saruta.
Last January, Balart solidified his place in the top-five rankings, beating Hiroba Minowa via split decision.
His recent performances position him as a serious threat capable of pulling off the upset against a high-profile name such as Brooks.
