Geje Eustaquio is not in the top five in the flyweight rankings of ONE Championship.
This despite being the ONE Flyweight World Champion early last year.
Come ONE: Inside The Matrix, the 31-year-old native of Baguio City plans on reminding the world that he is still a topflight fighter when he takes on Min Jong Song.
“Nothing has changed for me. I’m still grinding every day and honing my arsenal. My goal is and has always been the belt — that’s my motivation to keep going. I feel like I still deserve to be in the top five, and I want to prove that in this next fight,” said Eustaquio.
“I think this performance is very important for me because I want to show fans that I still exist. Maybe they forgot. I’m here to remind them of the kind of fighter that I am. I’m excited to be back in my office.”
Against Song, Eustaquiao faces a highly-regarded ONE Warrior Series product riding a four-bout win streak. Song is also the former Road FC Flyweight Champion, so Eustaquio knows not to underestimate him.
The Team Lakay stalwart, who has won two of his last three bouts, fully expects Song to come into this bout in his best condition and looking for the upset. He plans to use Song’s aggression against him, and dominate him in all areas.
“With a chance to move up the ladder, I expect him to come in hungry, motivated, and eager to win. That’s why I have to be very careful,” said Eustaquio.
“I believe I am more experienced. I think that will be my edge in this fight. The level of competition that I have faced is different, and a whole lot harder compared to him. That said, I will be looking for the finish — whether it be standing up or on the ground. Expect the unexpected. This is mixed martial arts, and anything can happen. But like in my last match, I am aiming for a finish once more.”
Eustaquio fully recognizes that this fight is a pivotal juncture in his ONE Championship tenure. It will signal if he truly is worthy to be counted among the best, or if he needs to reevaluate his situation.
As such, he has prepared himself extensively to give a good performance, and he promises fans they won’t be disappointed.
“This is a very important point in my career. In every competition, we treat it as the most important — and this one is no different, especially since I want to get back to the top of the flyweight division,” said Eustaquio.
“We don’t come in fights unprepared — we go in there and give it our all. We persevere. We give our blood and sweat just to make sure we come in prepared regardless of who’s in front of us. That’s our culture and attitude in Team Lakay.”
