Balart knocked off #3-ranked strawweight contender Yosuke Saruta to move into the official ONE athlete rankings.

With Jarred Brooks defeating #1-ranked Bokang Masunyane to earn his shot at the division’s king, Joshua Pacio, Balart believes he is next in line.

“Now I’m #4 in the division, which should give me the chance to fight for the title. There is no doubt, my next fight should be for the strawweight title. This is the only thing I’m focusing on, and I’m confident I will make it,” Balart told ONE Championship.

“I don’t care about a name or who has the World Title. I only care about that belt, and whoever has it, has to be my next opponent. I hope it’s soon.”

Part of the driving force behind Balart’s title run is wanting to achieve history by becoming the first-ever Latin America ONE World Champion.

After back-to-back victories over top competition, Balart has put himself in a prime position to have a shot at securing his dream.

“For all my Latinos, for all the people who follow me, keep in mind that Gustavo Balart will be the champion of ONE Championship,” said Balart.

“I want to tell my people that I am not going to let them down, and I will be the first Latin Champion in ONE Championship.”

As Brooks and Pacio determine who will wear the gold next, Balart waits in the wings for whoever comes out on top. The 4-foot-11 dynamo’s comeuppance in the division has been exciting, and now he is just a step away from the top of the mountain.

Yosuke Saruta vs. Gustavo Balart | ONE Championship Full Fight