Jarred Brooks Vs. Gustavo Balart: 4 Biggest Keys To Victory At ONE Fight Night 24
Update: Gustavo Balart missed weight for his ONE Interim Strawweight MMA World Title fight against Jarred Brooks. The fight will proceed at a catchweight of 126 pounds. Only Brooks will be eligible to win the Interim World Title at ONE Fight Night 24. If Balart wins, no interim belt will be awarded.
The ONE Interim Strawweight World Title clash between Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks and Gustavo “El Gladiador” Balart is one of the most stylistically intriguing main events of the year so far.
The two highly ranked contenders will pit their skills against one another at ONE Fight Night 24 on Prime Video, and both men are convinced they have the superior arsenal for their battle in U.S. primetime this Friday, August 2.
With Brooks’ American folkstyle wrestling going against Balart’s Olympic-level Greco-Roman wrestling, fans are eager to see which version reigns supreme in a mixed martial arts setting.
Here are the keys to victory for “The Monkey God” and “El Gladiador” ahead of their five-round battle at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
#1 Brooks’ Explosive Takedowns
Brooks’ wrestling and top game have always been the foundation of his offense, and he’s yet to meet an opponent who can stay on their feet against him.
The former undisputed titleholder has an explosive double-leg takedown that is hard to stop, but his single-leg and clinch are also strong elements in his offensive tool kit.
Shooting at the legs is his go-to move, and that bodes well against Balart, who spent much of his career on the mats in Greco-Roman, which is focused on techniques above the waist.
After Brooks gets his rival to the canvas, he is a menace from the top position with strong ground-and-pound. The basis of this comes from his U.S. collegiate wrestling days, where there is more of a focus on controlling the opponent for longer periods to score points.
It has blended well into the American’s MMA game, allowing him to be aggressive once the bout hits the deck.
And with Balart’s bottom game still somewhat of an unknown entity, it will be interesting to see how the Cuban reacts to being put on his back.
#2 Balart’s Takedown Defense
The reason nobody knows much about Balart’s bottom game is that he rarely gets put there and does a great job of dictating where the fight takes place.
In fact, the #3-ranked contender has a 93 percent takedown defense rate in ONE, successfully stuffing 13 of the 14 takedowns that have been attempted on him and popping straight back up the one time he was put on the mat by Ryuto Sawada.
Though he grew up in the Greco-Roman style, Balart is also experienced in freestyle wrestling, so he can defend both upper-body and leg attacks.
The 4-foot-11 Cuban’s height certainly plays a role in this, as it’s hard for his adversaries to get to his hips to score – and if they do, he has strong legs and hips to fend them off.
“El Gladiador” can punish a failed shot with knees to the head, but he may also choose to disengage with Brooks, as he believes he has the edge in the stand-up game.
#3 Brooks’ Vaunted Chokes
After years of blending styles, Brooks is now a formidable submission threat who has tapped out eight of his MMA opponents to date. Chokes are his favorite method of attack, particularly once he has worked to his foe’s back.
The #1-ranked contender has lightning-fast back takes from the fence, in scrambles, or from forcing a route there with strikes on the ground. And he’s incredibly potent once he gets to that position.
For instance, reigning strawweight MMA king Joshua Pacio needed the bell to get Brooks off there in round four of their first encounter, and “The Monkey God” finished #2-ranked Bokang Masunyane quickly with a rear-naked choke – one of five such stoppages in his career.
Balart has never been submitted, but he’s also not faced a grappler as strong and intense as Brooks. The American will be confident he can dispatch “El Gladiador” if he gets any opportunity to attack the neck.
#4 Balart’s Boxing And Clinch Work
Both men claim to have the superior stand-up game, with Balart stating that “it will be the end” for Brooks once the latter realizes he can’t take the fight to the ground.
The Cuban’s striking has evolved a lot, and if he can utilize it in the open in conjunction with the clinch, he might be on the right track.
He possesses powerful hands, especially his overhand left, and he isn’t afraid to charge toward any opponent with it.
Brooks is powerful, but if “El Gladiador” can use his excellent head movement and angles to avoid incoming firepower as he closes the distance, he can make up for the reach advantage and be in a position to score.
This often forces his opponents to move backward, but if Balart barrels in a bit too close, that’s not a problem, as he is very strong in the clinch. He has good dirty boxing, knees, and elbows, as well as high-amplitude throws and takedowns.
Staying entangled in the upper body would give Brooks less of an opening to shoot for the legs while Balart would get to stay in his wheelhouse and be busy with his striking offense.
