South African strawweight Bokang “Little Giant” Masunyane is eager to become his nation’s first mixed martial arts World Champion in ONE.

Defeating #2-ranked contender Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks at ONE: Eersel vs. Sadikovic next Friday, 22 April, will take him one step closer to that goal, and the top-ranked star wants to send a message to divisional king Joshua “The Passion” Pacio by scoring an emphatic victory against the American upstart. 

“Every fighter always looks for a finish, and every fighter is prepared to go the distance. It’s just whether I’m going to be able to get that opening,” the 27-year-old offered.

“If it’s on the ground, I know my submission game is very strong. If it’s stand-up, the fact that I knocked out one of the best strikers in my division has given me a lot more confidence that I can get a finish also.”

Masunyane’s knockout against Rene Catalan in his last appearance on the global stage showed that his striking skills could hang with the best in the weight class. The Coach Quan University standout finished Catalan with a spectacular head kick just 37 seconds into their matchup in late 2020.

But his powerful strikes aren’t his only dangerous weapons. In his debut in the Circle, the unbeaten warrior’s work rate on the ground proved to be the deciding factor. He controlled Ryuto “Dragon Boy” Sawada until the final bell to earn a clear-cut unanimous decision win.

Read More: ONE Championship Unveils the Full Card for Another Massive Event, ONE: Eersel vs. Sadikovic

Bokang Masunyane feels confident because of his complete game

Masunyane views Brooks as a much tougher test, though – and for good reason. The Mash Fight Team fighter has plenty of experience and has scored two dominant victories over Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang and Hiroba Minowa so far in his ONE tenure.

That said, “Little Giant” believes his own adaptability will play a significant role when the two come to blows next week.

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“He’s very explosive. He’s got very strong punches, so that’s something I need to be aware of. But also, if I’m just aware of the punches, he’s got takedowns to get things to the ground,” he said.

“I believe I am more dynamic, because I know how to use my wrestling for striking, and I know how to use my striking for wrestling. I believe that I’ve got more of a well-rounded game than he has.”

Both stars have shown that they have deep arsenals to dig into, and Masunyane knows he could be in for a long night in their main card tussle.

But as he inches towards his ultimate goal of a five-round World Title tilt against Pacio, he remains confident that he’ll leave the Circle with his biggest career win and push his record to a perfect 11-0.

“I believe I’m going to get the win. Whether it’s a finish, or whether it goes all the way to three rounds, I believe I’m going to come out as the man on top at the end of the day,” he said.

Download the ONE Super App to catch all the action from ONE: Eersel vs. Sadikovic live on Friday, 22 April.

Read More: “I Was Ecstatic” – Strawweight Contender Jarred Brooks Reacts to Praise From MMA GOAT Demetrious Johnson