GEJE Eustaquio tries to make history as the first ONE Fighting Championship flyweight champion as he collides with Adriano Moraes in the inaugural title bout in Rise of the Kingdom on September 12 in Cambodia.
Fresh from a convincing unanimous-decision victory over Kentaro Watanabe last month that earned him the title shot, the 25-year-old pride of Baguio now carries the Philippines’ hopes for another Filipino champion in one of Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization.
An aspiring lawyer, Eustaquio hopes to make his biggest mark inside the MMA cage for now as he takes center stage after being in the shadows of his more heralded Lakay teammates like Eduard Folayang, Honorio Banario, and Kevin Belingon.
Already with a solid striking game, the 5-foot-5 Eustaquio (6-2 win-loss) has shown improvement in his wrestling technique in his last two fights, including a clinical unanimous-decision win over compatriot Eugene Toquero last December.
But Eustaquio braces for probably the toughest test in his young career in the Brazilian Moraes, who has only lost once in his 12 fights and is coming off an impressive submission win against Kosuke Suzuki also last June.
“This highly anticipated bout pits two of the best flyweights in the world against each other and promises a night of intense action and heart-thumping excitement,” ONE FC chief executive officer Victor Cui said.
The Eustaquio-Moraes matchup is the first bout announced in the still to be completed fight card in Phnom Penh.
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