On Friday night, 31-year-old Jarred Brooks will look to take a massive step towards the ONE Strawweight MMA World Title. But first, ‘The Monkey God’ must take out an in-form Gustavo Balart at ONE Fight Night 24. The 37-year-old is currently on a four-fight winning streak and is high on confidence. However, Brooks isn’t quite worried about the challenge and is focused on the road ahead. During an interview with ONE Championship, he said, “I see it as just climbing back up to get to where I need to be, man. That’s it.”

He further added, “I just need to keep on climbing, and he’s there and he (Joshua Pacio) is resting up at the top of the mountain and that’s cool. I’m still going. I don’t care if anything pops in my way. There’s nothing that’s going to stop me from getting to where I need to go. And you know, Pacio has his motivations, I have my motivations, but I do think that they’re bigger. And I think that my aspirations are bigger than any fighter in ONE Championship, and I think that a lot of people just don’t see that, and it will come out.” But first, let us take a look at his next fight. 

Jarred Brooks vs. Gustavo Balart is all set for ONE Fight Night 24 

Jarred Brooks vs. Gustavo Balart headlines the many exciting matches scheduled for the upcoming ONE Fight Night 24 event. The clash will take place inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Both fighters share a very similar fighting style and tend to rely more on their high-level grappling skills. However, the only difference is that ‘El Gladiador’ uses a non-stop pace to drain out his opponent’s gas tank. Brooks is aware of the threat and seems to be prepared for the fight. The battle has already fired up after the pair indulged in multiple social media brawls. 

‘The Monkey God’ lost his title in March by disqualification to Joshua Pacio. However, the 31-year-old is looking to reinvent himself as a fighter in his upcoming clash. While ‘El Gladiador’ has gone out and insulted the former champion, Brooks seems determined to settle things once and for all. Before his fight, the former champion issued a warning for his opponent and said, “I don’t think he’s going to have the cardio to really hang with me. His legs are super thick. Me, I got jackrabbit legs. I can go forever with these legs. So Gustavo’s in for a really bad time when it comes to August 2.”

Both fighters will look to win the interim title and take on Joshua Pacio next. But whom is the 28-year-old rooting for in the fight at ONE Fight Night 24? Let us find out. 

Joshua Pacio wants the best man to win at ONE Fight Night 24 

‘The Passion’ won back the strawweight MMA crown back in March at ONE:166 in a very unusual manner. Brooks illegally slammed him on the head resulting in a disqualification. Pacio first won the title in 2018 but lost the title to Yoseku Saruta in his first title defense. However, he won it back in his next fight against him and later went on to defend it three times and in the process established himself as one of the best in the division. The 28-year-old then lost his title to Jarred Brook in December 2022 via a decision. While he did get his redemption at ONE 166, it seems ‘The Passion’ has some unfinished business with the 31-year-old. 

Currently sidelined with a knee injury, Pacio is desperate to get back to the action. However, he will be watching the upcoming fight at ONE Fight Night 24 with close attention. The interim title will be on the line and the winner will face Pacio once he is healthy. While speaking to ONE, the 28-year-old pointed out the strengths and weaknesses of both the fighters. However, he does not have a favorite and mentions, “May the best man win.” Looking at the rivalry between Pacio and Brooks, the fans will be hoping to see their trilogy fight. However, the 31-year-old will first have to get past ‘El Gladiador’. 

Who do you think will win the fight? Let us know in the comments below.