A Deep Look At ONE’s Stacked Strawweight MMA Division
ONE’s strawweight MMA division is at an all-time high when it comes to the strength and depth of its athletes.
With reigning king Joshua “The Passion” Pacio on the sidelines due to injury, Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks and Gustavo “El Gladiador” Balart will duke it out for the ONE Interim Strawweight MMA World Title at ONE Fight Night 24 on Prime Video on August 2.
But they’re not the only viable contenders, with established names also on the hunt and new faces looking to make an impact.
Before Brooks and Balart go head-to-head at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, let’s break down the division and ponder how it might shake out in the second half of 2024.
World Champion On A Hiatus
Pacio has been out of action since March because of a serious knee injury that entails a long recovery process.
“The Passion” is now in his third reign as the ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion, although he didn’t regain the gold in a way he would have envisioned.
After losing a five-round decision and the crown to Brooks in December 2022, the Filipino star defeated Mansur Malachiev before going for redemption against “The Monkey God.”
Ultimately, an illegal slam saw Brooks disqualified and Pacio win back the belt despite suffering a neck injury that meant he was stretchered out.
Prior to that, Pacio won the World Title with a decision over Yoshitaka Naito in 2018, lost it immediately to Yosuke “The Ninja” Saruta, and then knocked out the Japanese star in a rematch.
Three consecutive defenses followed until he ran into Brooks, making him the division’s most dominant ruler to date, and he’ll return for a World Title unification fight once he is fully recovered.
Going For Interim Gold
Former king Brooks and surging Balart will duke it out for the ONE Interim Strawweight MMA World Title on August 2, keeping the division moving in Pacio’s absence.
For Brooks, it’s a chance to get back on track after losing the belt in frustrating circumstances.
The American had looked unstoppable prior to the disqualification, picking up four straight MMA wins en route to the gold. He’s defeated Pacio as well as the current #2- and #4-ranked contenders in Bokang “Little Giant” Masunyane and Hiroba Minowa.
The way Brooks dominated those elite rivals was impressive, with none of them able to present any real danger to him throughout their bouts.
However, his wrestling was his biggest asset, and he might meet his match in former Cuban Olympic wrestler Balart.
Following a rough start to his time on the global stage, “El Gladiador” has won his last four outings, with two former World Champions included in that run – Saruta and Alex “Little Rock” Silva.
The #3-ranked contender has grown into his MMA game and could force Brooks to change tactics when they clash in the ONE Fight Night 24 main event.
Other Top Contenders
With Pacio out for the foreseeable future and Brooks and Balart vying for interim gold, the rest of the top five will be watching closely to see how that contest plays out.
Looking to redeem a prior loss to Brooks, #2-ranked Masunyane has posted back-to-back victories since then to maintain his spot in the upper echelon of the division.
The South African’s wrestling, intensity, and athleticism mean he is a handful for any rival, and he wants to prove he can do a better job against “The Monkey God” if he gets a second chance.
After a trio of losses to the top dogs, Minowa got himself right back in the picture with his win over Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado on July 5, but the #4 contender will have to show he can get the nod over a top-five rival before he can climb any higher.
Finally, #5-ranked Malachiev’s wins over Saruta and Miado have earned him a spot among the best, and he didn’t look out of his depth in a decision loss to Pacio. Still, it will take a big win to separate him from the chasing pack.
Up-And-Comers
Plenty of fresh talent has been added to the strawweight MMA ranks in the past year.
Though he came unstuck against Masunyane, Japan’s Keito “Pocket Monk” Yamakita defeated Miado and Silva to make his mark on the division. He could progress further when he faces his compatriot Saruta on the supporting card of ONE Fight Night 24.
Avazbek “Ninzya” Kholmirzaev and Sanzhar “Tornado” Zakirov have both raced to 3-0 slates in ONE Friday Fights to extend their overall records to 9-1 and 10-0, respectively, and another victory for either man could see them join the global roster with serious momentum behind them.
Seasoned Campaigners
Although they’re outside the top five now, several experienced athletes once held those lofty positions and can never be written off.
Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang returned from a long injury layoff with a trio of solid wins, while former World Champion Saruta and knockouts artist Miado and “Mini T” Danial Williams are each capable of upsetting the top order on their night.
