GEJE Eustaquio got payback not just for himself, but also for Danny Kingad after overcoming Adriano Moraes on Saturday night in Macau to become the undisputed ONE flyweight champion.
The Team Lakay stablemates both had lost to Moraes by way of submission in the past, with Eustaquio tapping out of a guillotine choke in their bout almost four years ago, and Kingad surrendering to a rear-naked choke by the Brazilian just last November.
After Eustaquio gained vengeance for both of them, he could find himself and Kingad in the same ring in the future.
After all, Kingad is not just his Lakay teammate, but is also a division-mate in the 132-pound category, so when Eustaquio runs out of worthy title challengers, he will soon have no choice but to face his rising-star stablemate.
“I have to admit that we’re in a company; if the boss says we fight, let’s do this,” Eustaquio said after his title bout. “We spar three times a week, and sparring in our gym is totally hundred-percent sparring – it’s like fighting, so possibility is maybe at 60 percent.”
“But as much as possible, I would like not to compete with this kid for I believe he has his time,” he was quick to add. “He got the whole time in the world. And this kid is developing very fast, rapidly.”
“You saw him the last time when he lost to Adriano, and now look at him, how he crumples his opponent inside this ring. He’s a fast learner, he’s growing so fast. I know he will have his own time,” said the 29-year-old Eustaquio, who’s seven years older than Kingad.
Kingad has won his last two fights since losing to Moraes, the latest a unanimous decision Ma Hao Bin of China via unanimous decision in the same Pinnacle of Power card in Macau last Saturday,
And the youngster’s rise to the ranks has indeed opened the possibility of facing his fellow Baguio native and teammate – but he’d rather have it another way.
“That’s not going to happen,” Kingad earlier stressed. “We always go at it in practice anyway. I’m happy that I get to spar with him all the time because he pushes me to the limit. We push each other, and we push each other to the next level. I will support coach Geje all the way.”
“For now, I’ll just keep getting better as a competitor. I’ll wait for my time,” he added.