Jarred Brooks can officially call himself ONE Championship’s top strawweight contender. The American earned his place atop the division’s rankings in a fight with South Africa’s Bokang Masunyane on the main card of the ONE 156 event on Friday in Singapore. He made it look easy. Early in the first round, Brooks leapt onto Masunyane’s back and began threatening with repeated rear-naked choke attempts. Masunyane stayed on his feet, attempting to jostle the American off his back against the cage, but was ultimately pulled down to the canvas and choked unconscious. “It’s so great to fight in ONE Championship,” the 28-year-old told commentator Mitch Chilson after his submission victory over the South African. “It’s just world class over here. You ain’t getting anything but the best out here.” With the win, Brooks (19-2) has earned a crack at long-reigning strawweight champion Joshua Pacio (20-3) – and he made sure to remind the Filipino striker of that fact post-fight. ONE 156: Harrison gets US$100k bonus, title shot after ‘crazy’ win “I got a bone to pick,” he said, targeting the champ. “I got to go against Joshua Pacio now. Please be ready, Joshua. I’m coming for you. “I know I’ve said it twice now, but third time’s the charm, and I swear I’m taking that belt back to the United States with me.” The win was Brooks’ third in ONE Championship after a submission victory over Lito Adiwang in his promotional debut, and a decision defeat of Hiroba Minowa in his next appearance. The 27-year-old Masunyane (8-1), meanwhile, will return to South Africa with the first loss of his pro career. Brooks and Masunyane were not the only strawweights in action at ONE 156. The card also featured two more important fights in the division. Earlier on the main card, Australia’s Danial Williams – also a competitor in Muay Thai – took on Japan’s Namiki Kawahara, who trains at the famed Team Alpha Male facility in Sacramento, California. It was a razor close contest, with Williams dishing out significant punishment on the feet, and Kawahara responding with takedowns and submission attempts. But after three rounds of action, all three judges scored the fight in favour of the Australian. ONE 156: Meksen dominates Ruumet, calls out Todd “I felt like I controlled the whole fight,” he said in his post-fight interview. “I’ve got a lot of work to do, but I’m improving each time.” The victory over Kawahara (7-5-2), who is now winless in two ONE bouts, could set Williams (5-1) up for a fight with a top-five foe. He called for that opportunity post-fight, naming No 5-ranked contender Jeremy Miado specifically. “I want to be in the top-five,” he said. “Guys like Jeremy Miado excite me.” The first strawweight fight of the night occurred on the event’s undercard, when No 3-ranked contender Yosuke Saruta of Japan stepped into the Circle with Cuban wrestler Gustavo Balart. Most expected Saruta, the division’s former champion, to come out on top, but Balart had other plans, using a vastly improved striking attack to defeat his accomplished foe by decision. The win will catapult Balart (10-4) into the strawweight top-five, where clashes with the division’s best fighters await. Saruta (21-11-3), meanwhile, is now winless in his last two, having been knocked out by Pacio in his next most recent appearance.