Adversity Brings Out the Best in Jarred Brooks

Four months after losing the ONE Championship strawweight title, Jarred Brooks believes being stripped of the belt was a blessing in disguise. After illegally spiking Joshua Pacio at ONE 166, Brooks lost the championship and a six-year-long winning streak, but the setback has reignited his fire, and “The Monkey God” vows that fans have still yet to see him at his peak.

“When I lose, that’s when you get to see the best version of me,” Brooks told Sherdog.com. “People underestimate the fact that, respectfully, I don’t give a f--k. I go in, and I fight the fight. Put me in the room with the best in the world, [and] I promise you I will try to come out on top.”

Brooks’ quest to retrieve the strawweight strap begins with a showdown against Cuba’s Gustavo Balart at ONE on Prime Video 24 on Aug. 2 at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Brooks was initially signed to face Pacio in a trilogy fight, but the new champion was forced to pull out due to a knee injury. The Brooks-Balart winner gets an interim title as something of a consolation prize.

Although Brooks was not defeated, he views his disqualification as a loss, not because he believes Pacio is a better fighter but because his lapse of judgment went against his core beliefs as a man and a martial artist. The belt was not taken from him. He lost it, and if he wants it back, he will have to respond the only way he knows how.

“When you go against the grain of what life is, it breaks you down as a person,” Brooks said. “Nothing ever makes me lose hope. People think I’m some rich white kid, but no, I’ve had a rough lifestyle. My dad made me grow up like a Spartan, and there was no weakness; but showing weakness is my best strength, because even when I show the worst parts of me, you still can’t beat me mentally, physically or spiritually.”

The mental aspect of the game is of utmost importance to Brooks. The 31-year-old Indiana native has been training for decades and truly feels that his toughest opponent is the one he sees in the mirror. Studying the game and mentally breaking fighters is what has taken Brooks to the top of the rankings.

“Growing up I’ve always loved the UFC, I’ve always loved Pride [Fighting Championships] and the old Chute Boxe fighters—those were my superheroes,” Brooks said. “My dad would go into Blockbuster and get the old DVDs, and that’s all we would do. I’m so analytical to studying my opponents because since I was 6, all we did was record and sit down and watch to get better, not just physically but mentally.”

Brooks’ mental toughness is one of his best assets in the cage, and he will need to be at his sharpest against Balart (12-4). The 37-year-old may be the shortest fighter on the ONE roster at 4-foot-11, but he is a three-time Pan-American gold medalist wrestler. Balart has won his last four bouts and fights nothing like Pacio. If Brooks (20-3-1) looks past him, he could miss his shot at a trilogy altogether.

“He’s got a low center of gravity, and it’s going to be a little different for me to punch down,” Brooks said. “He’s fast, he’s explosive and covers range super quick, so I have to be ready for those type of surprises, but I don’t think Gustavo will be ready for the type of surprises I will bring to him.”

If Brooks wins, his sights will turn back to Pacio. He has already beaten him once, and the disqualification in the rematch did not prove that Pacio is a better fighter. Brooks hopes he can stay active and finally put their rivalry to rest before he moves on to potentially clearing out the rest of the strawweight division.

“I think that I’m a better fighter than Joshua, and at the end of the day, I’m not afraid to say that,” Brooks said. “I’m annoyed that the name has been in front of me for two years, and I’m tired of chasing one person. I want to go against everybody in the room until I can prove I’m the best to myself.”