Team Lakay's flyweight fighter Geje Eustaquio has waited a year before seeing action once again in the Circle.
And Eustaquio returns in ONE Championship with a goal in mind: To prove his worth in the flyweight division as a reminder of his existence as a Filipino warrior.
“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," said Eustaquio, who will face Korean Song Min Jong in their catchweight bout (64 kg) in ONE: Inside the Matrix at the Singapore Indoor Stadium tonight (Nov. 13).
The Igorot warrior takes extra caution in approaching Song, who rides on a four-match win streak including two fights in Road FC in 2015, a successful debut, and a follow-up match in ONE Championship last year.
But Eustaquio, who knocked out Finland's Toni Tauru with a lethal spinning back kick a year ago, leans on experience as key arsenal and looks to finish his Korean opponent be it at their feet or at the canvas.
“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 the former flyweight champion.
The flyweight rank consists of top-caliber fighters starting with Reece McLaren (No. 5), Yuya Wakamatsu (No. 4), Kairat Akhmetov (No. 3), Team Lakay stablemate Danny Kingad (No. 2), Demetrious Johnson (No. 1) and the champion Adrian Moraes.
For the 31-year-old Eustaquio, his upcoming fight is a turning point for his mixed martial arts career after gaining a 13-8 record since 2011.
“This is a very important point of my career," said Eustaquio. "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."