Jeremy “The Juggernaut” Pacatiw knows he’s in for another tough task when he takes on Tial Thang in a bantamweight MMA bout at ONE 164: Pacio vs. Brooks this Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila.
But Pacatiw is hell-bent on rebounding after falling to Fabricio Andrade in his last match, and there’s no better place for him to start his climb back up the bantamweight division than in the Philippines.
“I’m very happy and very excited because I’ll be competing in front of our Filipino fans in MoA (Mall of Asia Arena), so when it was offered to me, without a doubt, I said yes,” he said.
“Being part of this card is an amazing feeling, and I know that it’s my time to show what I’m made of. I’m coming off a loss, and I’m truly motivated to prove that I can bounce back and return to the win column.”
But as motivated as he is, he knows that he can’t afford to get complacent. Against Tial Thang, he expects to face a strong wrestler who can strike. In other words, someone who mirrors the same skill set that he has.
One thing that he doubts, though, is his opponent’s conditioning, a facet of the game that’s found in all Team Lakay fighters because they train at high altitudes.
For Pacatiw, it’s all about keeping his composure and avoiding complacency, and he’s confident that he can hang with Tial Thang wherever the match goes.
“He’s a good wrestler who can strike as well. He’s shown that in his fight against Sunoto, though that fight ended in a no-contest. However, I’ve seen him get tired in fights before, particularly in the second round against Song Min Jong,” he said.
“I can’t be overconfident against him, though. Let’s just see what happens in the fight. I’ll see his weaknesses in the fight.”
Tial Thang has made rather bold proclamations about coming into the Philippines hard for this match, and Pacatiw vows to be ready for him.
“If he wants to come here hard, then I’ll be harder for him,” he said. “Let’s see who’s the harder man between us.”
Tickets for ONE Fight Night 5 and ONE 164: Pacio vs. Brooks at the Mall of Asia Arena on Dec. 3 are available at https://linktr.ee/ONEPH.
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