Former ONE Strawweight World Champion Jarred Brooks will look to put an end to the psychological warfare when he faces Russian wrestler Mansur Malachiev in a flyweight MMA fight at ONE Fight Night 36 on 4 October, live from Bangkok, Thailand.
The 32-year-old American has endured a sustained campaign of mental pressure from his opponent and his team leading up to this crucial flyweight encounter.
“The past year and a half, this guy’s been sending me direct messages. He doesn’t really understand English that much, but he’s just trying to get into my head. His whole team has been sending me messages and all that stuff,” Brooks revealed.
Unfazed by the mental tactics, the Mash Fight Team representative has broken down the 33-year-old Russian’s style and found exploitable patterns.
“I did mock his style a lot, though. He walks like a zombie, coming forward with his hands up. He has the typical Dagestani style with dangerous spinning back kicks, and he has a dangerous hook,” Brooks analyzed.
This marks Brooks’ second fight in the flyweight division after establishing himself as the #2-ranked strawweight MMA contender with five ONE Championship victories since his 2021 debut. His wrestling background provides the perfect foundation for neutralizing Malachiev’s Dagestani grappling approach.
Malachiev brings three ONE Championship victories to this encounter, including a finish of Jeremy Miado in his promotional debut in June 2023. The Russian’s pressure-heavy style has proven effective against previous opponents.
However, Brooks believes he has identified a crucial weakness in his opponent’s defensive approach when facing sustained pressure.
“I think that when pressure is being displayed upon him, he waits his turn, and I think that’s where I can take advantage of a lot of the fight. He leaves his neck out because he is very ‘guillotinable,'” Brooks explained.
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