Gustavo Balart Envisions Finishing Jarred Brooks at ONE Fight Night 24

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In order for fighters to achieve their dreams, they have to make sacrifices. Gustavo Balart knows that. He's made many across his 16 professional fights. And he'll look to get a return on his investment next month.

"El Gladiador" meets former ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Jarred Brooks for the weight bracket's interim crown in the main event of ONE Fight Night 24 on Saturday, 3 August, inside Bangkok, Thailand's Lumpinee Stadium.

Balart left his wife and children behind in pursuit of MMA stardom and to give them a better life. So when he sets foot in the iconic ring next month, he's out to show how his why is greater than his adversary's.

"This is my dream. I have been working for this all my life," Balart said. "What I left behind is so much. I worked really hard to be here and the time is now. There is no tomorrow. I am really happy to have this opportunity to fight. That night I am going to give it my all.

"All I know is that on August [3], ONE Championship will have a new king in the 125-pound division. His name is Gustavo Balart Marin."

In ONE Fight Night 24's headline attraction, elite wrestling will be the mutual skill that both Balart and Brooks possess. It's allowed them to soar in their MMA careers.

But Balart believes he has the advantage in this area. After all, the #3-ranked contender is an accoladed Greco-Roman wrestler who also represented Cuba at the London Olympics in 2012.

In studying Brooks, Balart knows the American likes to put his opponents on their backs. But the 37-year-old is confident that plan will fail. And when he's forced into a striking affair, he'll ultimately come up short against the explosive Cuban.

"He is going to try to do what he does best. He likes taking fighters to the ground," Balart said. "When he tries to do that to me and realizes that he cannot do it, he will also find out my striking is better than his. It will be the end for him."