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Mixed Martial Arts

Geje Eustaquio wants to fulfill dream match with Demetrious Johnson before retiring


Geje Eustaquio knows retirement is a juncture that he will have to face at some point in his prizefighting career.

But before he takes his final bow as a competitor, the 33-year-old Baguio City native wishes to share the cage with the man regarded by most fans and experts as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time – Demetrious Johnson.

If you’re going to ask me who I want to face next, I would like to test myself against the legendary Demetrious Johnson. Understanding the time I have left in my career, I hope I will be given the opportunity to compete with one of the best athletes to ever grace our beloved sport,” Eustaquio said.

“I will definitely regret it if I don’t get to face him in this lifetime.”

The thought of squaring off against a pound-for-pound enigma like “Mighty Mouse” projects a daunting image to observers on the outside looking in. But Eustaquio feels that his skill level isn’t too far behind the American’s unparalleled athleticism and brilliant fight IQ.

ONE-Prime-Video-1-Demetrious-Johnson Geje Eustaquio wants to fulfill dream match with Demetrious Johnson before retiring Mixed Martial Arts News ONE Championship  - philippine sports news

(C) ONEFC.com

“I don’t think that there’s a wide gap in terms of skill set. What sets him (Johnson) apart is his fight IQ, it’s high level. But with proper preparation, I believe that it’s not impossible in this kind of competition. I’m confident that I can hang on with his wrestling and with his jiu-jitsu, as well as with his athleticism,” he stressed.

“I believe I am still young, younger than him. I possess greater potential than he has at this point. Demetrious Johnson is a fighter who keeps on reinventing himself. ‘DJ’ has a lot of surprises to offer every time he competes,” the former ONE flyweight champion added.

“If given the chance that I get to face him, I will really study him down to the last detail and look for that hole. In mixed martial arts, there’s always a hole. It’s just that you need to invest time and effort to figure it out.”

So far, it has been a banner year for Johnson, who began his 2022 campaign by defeating Thai striker Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a hybrid MMA-Muay Thai exhibition last March before he took the ONE flyweight title from Brazilian rival Adriano Moraes in their highly-anticipated rematch this past August.

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Meanwhile, Eustaquio is scheduled to make his return to action following a two-year hiatus. He will figure in a three-round encounter against China’s Hu Yong at ONE 164, set for December 3rd at the 20,000-seater SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Metro Manila.

“I’m very excited. I really miss the feeling of competition,” he stated. “I’m very happy they (ONE Championship) announced that I will be competing in front of my fellow countrymen. Actually, I’m doubling my training.”

Despite coming off a long break, “Gravity” is eager to prove that he still belongs at the elite level of the promotion’s talent-laden flyweight division.

Moreover, Eustaquio believes that claiming the victory over Hu is a step in the right direction to claim a spot in the flyweight Top Five and move closer to his dream match-up versus Johnson.

“From where I look at it right now, I’ve won two-straight bouts, and if I’m going to pass this test, it’s going to be three-straight wins. I hope it’s good enough for me to break into the rankings and eventually get a world title shot,” he ended.

Written By

Nissi Icasiano is a sportswriter, analyst and editor from the Philippines. He started his professional career in 2013. He has also written for various media outlets such as Rappler.com, ABS-CBN, Tiebreaker Times, Philboxing.com, MSN.com, South China Morning Post, The Phnom Penh Post and the International Business Times. In 2017, he started a career as a Combat Sports Analyst for television and radio, appearing on various news shows for ABS-CBN, GMA, TV5, Radyo Singko 92.3 News FM, PTV 4, Business World, Radyo Pilipinas 2 and Bombo Radyo Philippines. He practices boxing at Tiger City Boxing Gym whenever he is not writing.


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