It’s hard to doubt Geje Eustaquio.
Standing at just 5-foot-5, the Team Lakay prodigy is much smaller than the majority of the fighters that compose ONE Championship’s stacked flyweight division. With just an 11-5 record entering Saturday evening, it was tougher to treat him as a serious threat to ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano Moraes – who owned a superior 17-2 record before he landed in Macau.
But time and time again, Eustaquio has proven that an underdog can turn the improbable into the possible.
Just ask Anatpong Bunrad, a fighter who defeated him three years ago. Eustaquio was able to avenge that loss with a split decision win two years later.
Just ask Kairat Akhmetov, a fighter who was able to take a close split decision from him last September. Eustaquio took back the defeat with an emphatic unanimous decision win four months later.
And now just ask Moraes.
Entering the bout to unify the ONE Flyweight World Championships Saturday evening, the 29-year-old wushu artist stressed that in order to beat the decorated Brazilian Jiu-jitsu grappler, he had to defeat the champion in his own game.
“Ang game plan ng team is to beat him on his strong part. Basically alam ni Adriano ‘pag pupunta kami ng stand-up, I will utilize my striking,” Eustaquio disclosed.
“Kung napansin niyo sa training, sa polishing namin, we incorporated takedowns sa drill – yun yung surprise na dala namin, If we get the opportunity, the real game plan is to stand up with him but if you get the opportunity take him down, take him down then that’s it, ground and pound,” he elaborated.
This confused Moraes, who has intimidated his past opponents with his ground game, during the first two rounds of the bout. But the champion was able to adjust in the third round, even sinking what seemed to be like a tight guillotine choke during that frame.
The Brazilian thought that at one point during that submission attempt, Eustaquio had tapped. But the interim champion begged to differ saying, “Tap is not that way. I was punching, that’s a punch! And I said a while back if I get caught, I will sleep!”
Veteran referee Olivier Coste did not doubt Eustaquio as well, letting the bout continue.
One more thing, Team Lakay is no longer the grappling slouch that it once was, added Eustaquio.
“Please don’t underestimate our BJJ or what we call Baguio Jiu-jitsu, it’s somewhat dangerous, in more time we will submit you guys,” the Baguio-native quipped.
With the bout heading into the deep waters, both knew that the fifth round would decide who would take home the belt. Kill or be killed.
Although “Mikinho” showcased his thrilling BJJ skills once again, even going for a kneebar with a minute remaining in the contest, the Filipino rolled out his submission attempt. Then it was Eustaquio’s turn, as he scored a takedown, threw a knee at the scrambling Brazilian, and took his back.
The pair exchanged positions on the ground, with Moraes throwing punches from the top, and “Gravity” retaliating from the bottom as time expired.
When the scores were tallied, Eustaquio earned the split decision victory, and was rewarded with the undisputed ONE Flyweight World Championship.
After 1,380 days, Eustaquio has cleaned up another one of his losses.
Just as his mentor Eduard Folayang had done before, he was able to slay a mythical beast.
“Ladies and gentlemen, when I started 14 years ago, this was impossible. But now, after fourteen years, impossible is not a word — it is just a reason,” he shared moments after the bout.
“Anybody can be a world champion, as long as you have the drive and the attitude. I am proud to be the undisputed ONE Flyweight World Champion this time.”
