Former ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Jarred Brooks is set to return to action after his title fight loss to Joshua Pacio at ONE 166: Qatar earlier this year. Now, he’ll face Cuba’s Gustavo Balart in a battle for the ONE Interim Strawweight MMA World Championship at ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart, airing on U.S. primetime on August 2nd.

In preparation for his upcoming fight against Balart, ‘The Monkey God’ has been training hard to rebound from his last loss. He recently announced the ongoing progress of his training camp via social media, expressing gratitude to his training partners.

Jarred Brooks appreciates his training partners

Since his debut in ONE Championship, Jared “The Monkey God” Brooks has consistently entertained fans with his exciting fighting style. He quickly accumulated wins, including a notable victory over Joshua Pacio that secured him the ONE Strawweight MMA World Title. Brooks later sought to expand his repertoire by challenging Mikey Musumeci, the reigning ONE Submission Grappling World Champion, for his belt but fell short in that endeavor.

In 2024, Jarred Brooks was disqualified for an illegal slam against Pacio, leading to the forfeiture of his belt. However, the 31-year-old is putting the past behind him and focusing on improvement. As evident from his recent Instagram post, he wants to leave no room for excuses.

“I want to thank my brother @j0n_reyes for always covering my classes and being an awesome training partner for this camp. He wants to get better though he doesn’t fight. For @onechampionship fight night where I am headlining !! He is an amazing training partner and human being! I’m very blessed to be in the place I am in!” Brooks wrote.

However, winning the interim title isn’t the only goal for Brooks. In a recent interview, he expressed his desire to deliver a spectacular finish against Gustavo Balart at ONE Fight Night 24, aiming to impress every MMA fan, including ONE’s Chatri Sityodtong.

Jarred Brooks’ goal ahead of Gustavo clash 

Jarred Brooks made a strong impression upon arriving at the world’s largest martial arts organization in 2021. He won three straight fights, culminating in a ONE Strawweight MMA World title victory over Joshua Pacio in December 2022.

Unfortunately, Brooks couldn’t hold onto the belt in his first defense. Now, fueled by a desire to reclaim his glory, Brooks vows to return with a vengeance. Expect a dominant performance, a spectacular finish, one that will leave everyone, including ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong impressed.

In a recent interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Brooks has promised himself to deliver a spectacular finish. He said, “I want to go out there and have a spectacular finish. Wow Chatri [Sityodtong], wow the judges, wow everyone and the fans over in Thailand.” A wow performance is exactly what ‘The Monkey God” needs to reclaim his former glory.

With the fight just a few weeks away, can Jarred Brooks defeat Balart, who is on a four-fight win streak, and claim the ONE Interim Strawweight MMA World Championship? What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.