Geje Eustaquio banks on no less than his veteran experience when he takes on a much younger foe in Hu Yong.
Eustaquio, who is set to return to mixed martial arts action after two years of hiatus, faces Yong in ONE: 164 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Dec. 3.
No signs of ring rust would stop Eustaquio, a former ONE flyweight champion, from competing again in the Circle, saying that he is "one hundred percent back."
Eustaquio, 33, believes that his edge over Yong would be his experience, competing with the likes of Adriano Moraes and Kairat Akhmetov, among others.
Before taking a break from MMA, the Team Lakay stalwart is riding on a two-match win streak after beating Toni Tauru last November 2019 and Song Min Jong last November 2020.
While Eustaquio acknowledges Yong's striking prowess, citing that the 26-year-old Chinese has got some beautiful left and right hooks on top of explosive takedowns, the the former world champion is confident to take home the win for Team Lakay.
"The only problem is he really needs more experience. He's still young in this sport, compared to my experience. I have faced the best of the best in this division and maybe that's my advantage compared to him," said Eustaquio, nicknamed "Gravity."
He also takes pride in competing against the likes of Moraes and Akhmetov, who are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 respectively, next to reigning flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson.
The lessons and the experience that I've gained through the years, those are the things that I'd be using against Hu Yong," said Eustaquio, who holds a 14-8 record. "I know he's never faced men with the caliber of Adriano Moraes, Akhmetov, the Japanese guys, so most probably I have the edge in this competition."
Yong, for his part, owns a 9-4 slate and recently suffered from a unanimous decision loss at the hands of Yuya Wakamatsu last December 2021.
Prior to that though, Yong won five straight times from January 2019 to March 2021.