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Perhaps there is no other fighter on ONE Championship's roster (or any organization) that defines "size doesn't matter" quite like Gustavo Balart. The man stands 4'11" tall and always had his opponents tower over him. However, this never bothered the Cuban Greco-Roman wrestler.
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Having won gold in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2011 Pan American Games and represented Cuba at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Balart is not a man to be trifled with once he gets close to you. 'El Gladiator' blitzes his opponents with his fast feet and unloads powerful hooks on the inside. With his shorter frame, Balart has a lower center of gravity, giving him more power and leverage to hurt or take his opponents down.
In a highlight video released by ONE Championship, we see Balart's topsy-turvy journey in the promotion. Despite losing his first three fights, the Cuban powerhouse has made all his bouts so highly competitive that fans kept wanting to see more. In the video, Balart talks about how his opponents underestimate him because of his size:
"People react differently. First people think, 'Wow, he's dead.' And then it's, 'I can't believe it.' And finally, it's 'Gustavo is huge.'"
Watch his highlight reel below:
Gustavo Balart faces former ONE Championship strawweight champion Yosuke Saruta
Back in July of 2021, Gustavo Balart finally scored his first win in ONE when he defeated Ryuto Sawada via unanimous decision. On April 22, at ONE: Eersel vs. Sadikovic, 'El Gladiator' will have a chance to bag back-to-back victories. This time, however, he will have to face a former ONE champion in Yosuke Saruta.
The two were supposed to face each other earlier this year, but the bout was ultimately canceled due to Saruta testing positive for COVID-19. The former Japanese champion is coming off his world title challenge against reigning strawweight champ Joshua Pacio in September 2021. The bout capped off a historic trilogy between the two, with Pacio ultimately getting the upper hand.
Meanwhile, Balart is set to make a splash in the ONE strawweight rankings by defeating No.3-ranked Saruta. Claiming a win against the former champion will certainly prove Balart to be amongst the elite in his division, and should be taken seriously.
