Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks has been an unstoppable force ever since he announced his arrival in ONE Championship in dominant fashion.
In the span of just 13 months, the American dynamo racked up three-straight victories to solidify his stature as the legitimate No. 1 contender and then proceeded to his coronation as the undisputed ONE Strawweight World Champion by dethroning longtime division kingpin Joshua “The Passion” Pacio.
Now, Brooks is looking to prove his worth as the man lording over a stacked weight class by taking on the best challengers that the division has to offer.
One strawweight being mentioned as a potential opponent in Brooks’ first World Title defense is Filipino hard-hitter Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado.
Miado feels flattered by the fact that he is on the shortlist of candidates to face Brooks.
“I'm glad Jarred Brooks sees me as a contender worthy to get the next shot at the belt. This shows that the new champion values my skills as an athlete and what I bring as a competitor in the division,” he stated.
Lately, the 30-year-old Albay native has been making a solid case to get a date with “The Monkey God.”
He has won four matches in a row, including a catchweight contest in October 2022 where he attained a third-round knockout victory over No. 5-ranked strawweight “Mini T” Danial Williams.
With Brooks posing as an unsolvable problem that his contemporaries have failed to address, Miado believes he is capable of cracking the code if they get to share the same stage.
One area where “The Jaguar” thinks he will have the upper hand is striking.
“I know I'll give him problems when it comes to striking,” said Miado, who owns seven career knockouts.
“I think my advantage is the jab. I think he'll have a tough time striking with me because I'm taller than him. Plus, I have a longer reach.”
When it comes to handling Brooks’ wrestling-heavy offense, the Marrok Force representative is confident that he can hold his own in the grappling department.
"Many have underestimated my wrestling and my Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but I have been working on my grappling for more than two years. I think I can also give him problems by defending his takedowns," he remarked.
“Since day one, my coaches have always been telling me everyday to focus on my wrestling. That's why in my last few fights, my opponents haven't been able to keep me pinned down on the ground,” Miado continued.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
"I was happy when I saw that he had a hard time keeping Pacio down, and I'm confident because he might be able to take me down. However, I'm sure he won't be able to control me because that's all I've been perfecting since day one, that even if I get taken down, I can get back up."
Brooks has been lobbying for a spot in ONE Championship’s much-awaited United States debut on May 5th, and Miado is keeping his phone and passport within arm’s reach in case he gets the call to fly to Broomfield, Colorado.
“I am available. If Jarred Brooks needs a dance partner on May 5, I am right here,” he noted.