Tag: ONE Championship News

By Dan Paulo Errazo

Team Lakay veteran Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio gained a reputation as ONE Championship’s “Rematch King” after his split-decision win over Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes for the ONE Flyweight World Title last June. This is because he does so well in rematches, that his record shows he’s won all of them.

The former school teacher has the prized ability to learn from previous losses by taking away from his mistakes and coming back smarter, hungrier, and better-trained to get the victory.

“I’m a calculated fighter. I rely more on my skills, technique, and intelligence rather than my speed and power like most guys,” said Eustaquio.

“When I get a feel for an opponent the first time, I know what it will take to beat him the second time around.”

Eustaquio’s most recent triumph over rival Moraes is one of his best performances — better than his last bout against Anatpong “Mak Mak” Bunrad, that ended with a split-decision as well as his showdown with the former flyweight titleholder Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov with a unanimous decision.

Eustaquio fell by guillotine choke to Moraes during the second round of their first encounter at ONE: Rise of the Kingdom last September 12, 2014. The Filipino admitted that having very little experience was not enough to claim victory. But it made him realize the work he needed to do in order for him to reach the top of his game.

“I guess I wasn’t ready to face a champion the caliber of Moraes then, although I was confident in my skills,” he explains.

“It’s a different experience when you share the cage with the champion. I was shocked at the gap between us. It was a good learning opportunity for me.

“I discovered where I was lacking, and what I needed to work on.”

After the third loss of his professional career, Eustaquio put in the time and effort back at the Team Lakay gym. There, he tightened up his game and worked on his overall skills, particularly grappling offense and defense.

“I knew I couldn’t let another opportunity slip through my fingers,” he adds.

“I hit the gym hard, worked on my overall skills, got my mindset right, and the rest was history. I’m confident now more than ever.”

Although the Baguio City native fell short in his first attempt at a World Title match against “Mikinho” back in 2014, that did not stop Eustaquio in getting a unanimous decision win to claim the ONE Interim Flyweight World Title against Akhmetov four years later at ONE: Global Superheroes.

Against Moraes then, “Gravity” was able to showcase his improved ground game, deflecting several submission attempts from the crafty Brazilian.

“It wasn’t easy, the split decision can attest to that, but our game plan worked,” he says.

“We were able to negate most of his strengths, and we did what we wanted to do. All the hard work was worth it. It’s definitely my favorite victory above all.”

The match ended with both martial artists kneeling in front of each other, showing their respect.

“I know one day we will meet each other in the cage again – I’m looking forward to it,” Eustaquio concluded.

With the bout being one of the closest of the year, both fans and observers would certainly enjoy a trilogy series between the two. Eustaquio and Moraes are set to tango once again at ONE: HERO’S ASCENT, set for 25 January at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila. The rubber match will determine who walks out of the stadium with the undisputed title around his waist.

The post Geje Eustaquio Is Team Lakay’s Rematch King appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

The wait to hear just who exactly ONE Championship’s star signing Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson will share the cage with, in his professional debut is over.

It has been confirmed that Johnson, one of the world’s best pound for pound mixed martial artists will face off against Japan’s Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu in Tokyo, Japan at ONE: A NEW ERA on 31 March.

Wakamatsu is a former Pancrase Flyweight Tournament Champion, who has ten wins to his name with nine of those coming by way of knockout.

Fans will be impatiently counting down the days until “Mighty Mouse” makes that walk down the ONE ramp. However, it will not only be fans who are eager to see how Johnson performs in his new environment but Johnson himself.

In a recent interview with ONE commentator Mitch “ The Dragon” Chilson, the 32-year-old shared his thoughts on ONE ’s progressive weight cutting policy.

“This is a new weight class for me essentially. I am used to fighting at 125 in North America, where I deplete myself completely to make the weight class,” he said

“Now I happen to weigh-in at 135, hydrated, and that is something I am going to have to get used to.”

It could be that fans may see an even more polished version of Johnson competing come March and that would be an intimidating prospect for his rivals in the Flyweight Grand Prix.

“I am looking forward to it, [to] diet down and get myself to like 134 hydrated and see how it goes.

“I am so used to competing on 24 hours’ notice of rehydrating. So it will be different to compete fully hydrated.”

Johnson has also become a fan of the ONE Super Series, and during the interview, he spoke openly about his desire to take part in the series eventually.

“I have always been fascinated by Muay Thai and kickboxing,” he said

“When I see guys like Giorgio Petrosyan and Nicky [Holzken]  and Cosmo [Alexandre], I watched that bout [Holzken- Cosmo].

“Just to see how they don’t have to worry about so much. They don’t have to worry about their takedowns or submission. They can just worry about their striking.

“So I think before my time is done in my career I would love to get a kickboxing or Muay Thai bout.”

Johnson added that he would first have to see how his body would react to rigors of the stand-up disciplines before making any firm commitments and that his mixed martial arts career is his priority.

It seems that with every interview Johnson gives, the anticipation amongst fans to see him compete, continues to keep on increasing.

The post Demetrious Johnson Talks Weight Cuts & ONE Super Series appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Fighters are faced with plenty of obstacles throughout their professional careers, and every ONE athlete has a tale of overcoming adversity. Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov is no different.

After excelling as a Greco-Roman wrestler, Akhmetov made the transition into the world of professional martial arts and experienced immediate success.

He reeled off a huge string of consecutive wins before making a dream promotional debut with ONE, beating Adriano Moraes to win the ONE Flyweight World Championship in November 2015.

But less than a year later, Akhmetov suffered a debilitating back injury while training at the famed Jackson Wink MMA camp in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“Honestly, in my mind, I never thought I would finish my career because of the injury. So even when it was very hard, and thoughts of retirement started to pop out in my head more often, deep inside I knew I could not leave that way, and I had more things to accomplish.”

Rather than dwell on the issue, Akhmetov fought through the pain and worked his way back into the cage with a rematch with Moraes. That became yet another hurdle to leap, as he lost a unanimous decision in Macau and had to give up his belt.

But again, “The Kazakh” bounced straight back, splitting two fierce battles with Geje Eustaquio, before beating Ma Hao Bin at ONE: CONQUEST OF HEROES last September.

Akhmetov credits his support team for his renewed self-belief.

“It is crucial to have family and the right people with you,” he says. “I do not believe in the concept of a self-made man. We all achieve something because of the help of others. That is why it is important to have support, and also to give back to others, too.”

He realizes there are plenty of people out there facing challenges that don’t necessarily involve martial arts, and to them, he offers his favorite pieces of advice.

“First, always remember why you started, and what made you do it in the beginning. Second, you should know that it is always too soon to quit — if you quit, you will betray yourself. And third, always remember that a lot of people are counting on you, and you cannot let them down,” he shares.

The post What Kairat Akhmetov Can Teach You About Not Giving Up appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

They call him the ‘King of the Rematch’, and for good reason. Reigning ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio of Baguio City, Philippines is a soldier of vengeance inside the cage.

Eustaquio has emerged victorious in every rematch of his career. There’s just something about having a second chance to do it right that appeals to the 29-year-old martial arts veteran.

“I’m a calculated fighter,” said Eustaquio. “I rely more on my skills, technique and intelligence rather than my speed and power like most guys. When I get a feel for an opponent the first time, I know what it will take to beat him the second time around.”

Eustaquio has lost and rematched guys such as Anatpong Bunrad and former flyweight titleholder Kairat Akhmetov, and he has come away with victories every time. Yet it is his long-standing rivalry with former conqueror Adriano Moraes that Eustaquio holds in the highest regard.

“Gravity” was submitted by Moraes via second-round guillotine choke when they first met in September 2014. It was Eustaquio’s first opportunity at a ONE World Title. Although it ultimately altered the course of his career, admittedly the Baguio City-native said he was a little green at the time.

“I guess I wasn’t ready to face a champion the caliber of Moraes then, although I was confident in my skills,” explained Eustaquio.

“It’s a different experience when you share the cage with the champion. I was shocked at the gap between us. It was a good learning opportunity for me. I discovered where I was lacking, and what I needed to work on.”

The loss to Moraes has served him well. Since then, Eustaquio has been tweaking his formula of success, adding bits and pieces to his overall game, particularly in the area of grappling and takedown defense.

The results have been mixed however, with losses to Bunrad, Akhmetov and Toni Tauru following not long after. But Eustaquio was determined. He knew how to mold and shape himself and the only thing on his mind was working his way back into title contention.

When he finally conjured up the correct formula for victory, Eustaquio knew he was ready to face the champion again.

“I knew I couldn’t let another opportunity slip through my fingers,” said Eustaquio. “So I hit the gym hard, worked on my overall skills, got my mindset right, and the rest was history. I’m confident now more than ever.”

Eustaquio defeated Akhmetov in early January, claiming the ONE Interim Flyweight World Title. It set up an inevitable showdown with Moraes months later, a highly-anticipated rematch four years in the making.

Finally, “Gravity” had landed the bout he had waited so long for. The title was within his grasp. All he had to do was beat the best in his division.

Entering the bout as the underdog, Eustaquio defeated Moraes via split decision after five gruelling back-and-forth rounds of action. Though it was certainly no walk in the park for the Filipino martial arts veteran, Eustaquio says it was a victory well deserved.

“It wasn’t easy, the split decision can attest to that,” said Eustaquio, who narrowly outpointed Moraes on the judges’ scorecards.

“But our game plan worked. We were able to negate most of his strengths and we did what we wanted to do. All the hard work was worth it. It’s definitely my favorite victory above all.”

It was one of the closest contests of the year in ONE Championship, and one that fans will not mind seeing again. Eustaquio realizes that he needs another victory over Moraes to complete their series and prove once and for all who is the rightful owner of the flyweight World Title.

“I know one day we will meet each other in the cage again,” said Eustaquio.

“I’m looking forward to it. But there are a lot of things going on next year, with the Flyweight Grand Prix and Demetrious Johnson on the prowl. I just want to test myself against the best in the world and I’m thankful I have the opportunity to do that.”

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