Last Friday, August 2, Jarred Brooks reminded the world that he was here to stay. Before his clash with Gustavo Balart, Brooks wanted to reinvent himself as a fighter, and while he was not able to showcase his striking, he still produced an impressive win. The 31-year-old defeated Balart in the first round via submission, claiming the ONE Interim Strawweight MMA World Title. Brooks is now lined up for a clash with Joshua Pacio next for a World Title unification down the line. 

However, he is also looking to test himself against elite competition, setting his sights on none other than Demetrious Johnson. During the post-fight interview, he said, “I think it would be a great match up between me and him (Mighty Mouse). Reece McLaren is boring, all these other guys in flyweight are boring. I’m not afraid to climb mountains and I know GOATs climb mountains too, but I’m ready to chase a GOAT.” However, his comments have not gone well with McLaren at all. The pair was recently involved in a bit of a heated social media exchange. Let us take a closer look at it. 

Reece McLaren responds to Jarred Brooks and his recent comments 

Reece McLaren is fresh off a victory against his last fight at ONE Fight Night 22 this past May. The 32-year-old defeated China’s Hu Yong via split decision to cement his place as the #4-ranked fighter in the division. However, his performance has not impressed ‘The Monkey God’. After showing his interest in facing ‘Mighty Mouse’ and calling McLaren boring, Brooks got a response from “Lightning” who commented, “coming from the guy who got cut from the UFC for being boring. Not to mention the only reason you have a belt in your division is because that division is almost empty.” 

The ONE Interim Strawweight MMA World Champion then offered a fight to the Australian fighter. However, it seems McLaren is pretty clear with what he wants in the division. Despite Brooks claiming himself as an entertainer and making it clear that he had cleared his entire division, he was dismissed by McLaren with a response that said, “@the_monkeygod mate I have my eyes on actual contenders in my division, you’re a waste of my time and easy money. You can keep running your mouth but it doesn’t make you entertaining- just makes you a typical septic tank.” 

With Johnson still out of the picture, the flyweight MMA ranks may indeed be in need of an interim belt. The pairing of Brooks and McLaren would be interesting, but there may be other contenders in the flyweight division who would assert their claim for ONE gold. 

Meanwhile, “The Monkey God” already has a match waiting for him after his latest win, as he is set to settle his trilogy with Joshua Pacio once “The Passion” has healed up from his injury.   

Jarred Brooks all set to challenge Joshua Pacio next for the title 

Jarred Brooks is one of those rare fighters who lost his title in a very unusual manner. ‘The Monkey God’ took on Joshua Pacio at ONE 166 and lost the fight because of disqualification. Not only did he lose the belt, he faced a lot of criticism for the way the fight ended. However, he has now earned his opportunity to reclaim the belt after an impressive performance at ONE Fight Night 24. Brooks defeated an in-form Gustavo Balart at ONE Fight Night 24 and is now ready to face Pacio, who is currently recovering from an injury. 

Many experts felt that ‘El Gladiador’ might just prove too much to handle for the 31-year-old. However, Brooks entered the fight with a foolproof plan. After his victory, ‘The Monkey God’ appreciated his challenger and felt proud of doing something no one has ever done before. He said, “I was glad to show people that I could finish Gustavo Balart in spectacular fashion. The only time he’s really been finished was with a head kick out of the blue. It’s the first time that he’s ever been submitted, and I’m glad that I could be that guy.” 

How high do you rate Jarred Brooks and his performance at ONE Fight Night 24? Let us know in the comments below.