What Next For Jarred Brooks? The 3 Fights to Make For ONE Strawweight Champion After ONE Fight Night 24

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This past weekend at ONE Fight Night 24, former ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Jarred Brooks clinched the weight bracket's interim crown with a first-round submission stoppage over #3-ranked contender Gustavo Balart.

The pair squared off in the main event on Saturday, 3 August, inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. And after 4:39 of the first frame, Brooks managed to submit Balart to seal another World Title opportunity.

That said, "The Monkey God" has a wealth of options to pursue now as the ONE Interim Strawweight MMA World Champion. With that said, let's look at three fights for Brooks after ONE Fight Night 24.

Who will Jarred Brooks face next in ONE Championship?

1. Joshua Pacio: First and foremost, Brooks has plans to unify the two ONE Strawweight MMA World Titles, and that means a trilogy with reigning king Joshua "The Passion" Pacio of the Philippines.

The pair have met twice before. Their first clash came at ONE 164 in December 2022. Brooks defeated Pacio in Manila after five grueling rounds to capture the crown for the first time.

But this past March at ONE 166: Qatar, they collided in an anticlimactic sequel as Brooks was disqualified just 56 seconds in after dropping Pacio on his head. As a result, Pacio reclaimed the crown.

So with the scores technically tied at one win apiece, putting the two together one more time makes sense. The duo both believe they're the best strawweights in the world. So there's only one way to find out who is right.

2. Demetrious Johnson: Another name high on Brooks' list is ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion Demetrious Johnson. Since climbing the ranks and attaining gold, Brooks has been clamoring for an opportunity to fight the MMA GOAT.

"Mighty Mouse" hasn't been seen inside the Circle since ONE Championship's U.S. debut in May 2023 at ONE Fight Night 10. There, he defended the flyweight gold against fierce rival Adriano Moraes.

Johnson is in the final stage of his MMA career, and he's only willing to return against opponents that excite him. Brooks certainly fits that criteria, so a super-fight between the American kings would certainly wow fans - especially if it was on U.S. soil.

3. Keito Yamakita: If neither Pacio nor Johnson are ready in time to fight Brooks, a viable contender for Brooks' interim gold is Japanese star Keito Yamakita, who has been on a roll as of late.

The 28-year-old has competed three times this year. After a narrow loss to Bokang Masunyane this past January at ONE 165, he has turned things around to defeat divisional stalwart Jeremy Miado at ONE 166 in March by bulldog choke.

He then doubled his run with a split-decision victory over former king Yosuke Saruta this past weekend at ONE Fight Night 24. So if anyone were to be ready at the same time as Brooks, "Pocket Monk" could be a viable threat to "The Monkey God's" gold.