"Remember where we are from" - Gustavo Balart will proudly represent Cuba on the world stage against Jarred Brooks

Gustavo Balart (L) and Jarred Brooks (R) | Image by ONE Championship
Gustavo Balart (L) and Jarred Brooks (R) | Image by ONE Championship

Third-ranked ONE strawweight MMA contender Gustavo Balart has truly come a long way, but he will never forget the humble beginnings that shaped him.

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'El Gladiador's' life story is indeed as inspiring as it comes. The former Greco-Roman Olympic wrestler bravely left Cuba to chase greener pastures in the United States to provide a better future for his family through mixed martial arts.

His sacrifices bore fruit, as he will now headline ONE Fight Night 24 in the biggest match of his career against former strawweight MMA world champion Jarred Brooks.

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Speaking to ONE in an exclusive interview, Balart shared how grateful he is to discover a second home with American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida.

However, he'll always have Cuba in his mind and heart wherever he goes, saying:

"I am 100 percent Cuban. I am now Cuban-American, but I'm proud of where I am from and my roots."

The 37-year-old proud Cuban warrior continued:

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"As a Cuban, I am very proud of my roots and we will always teach our kids where we are from. It is important to know where we are going, but we need to remember where we are from."

Gustavo Balart inspired by his three daughters to chase greatness

Another big reason why Gustavo Balart strives hard is his desire to bring his wife and three daughters to the US.

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"When my daughters are here with me, I will make sure they get a great education. I will try to get all that time I was not there with them back," he told ONE.
"I will show them how much I love them and teach them what I learned from my parents."
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Unfortunately, Gustavo Balart will no longer be eligible to win the interim strawweight MMA world title this Friday after failing to meet the demands of the scales.

Still, 'El Gladiador' has an opportunity to notch the biggest win of his career to date if he gets past Jarred Brooks at ONE Fight Night 24 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, in their catchweight bout.

The full event will air live in US primetime on August 2, free of charge for those with a Prime Video subscription in North America.

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

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Edited by Harvey Leonard
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