They say practice makes perfect, and for Jeremy "The Juggernaut" Pacatiw that adage couldn’t be any more true.
Pacatiw secured a quick win in his return, submitting Wang Shuo in the first round of their bantamweight MMA encounter at ONE Fight Night 21: Eersel vs. Nicolas inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, last Saturday.
Chinese surprises Pacatiw with quick takedown
The Chinese fighter surprised Pacatiw with a quick takedown after a brief striking exchange. But “The Juggernaut” turned the tide on his foe by avoiding a guillotine choke, taking his opponent’s back, and sinking in a rear-naked choke.
“I was surprised when we started the fight. We traded strikes, I landed a right hand, and I think that woke him up. He then went for the takedown as I lost my balance,” Pacatiw said.
“I was surprised that he went for the takedown early on. He was going for his specialty, the guillotine, and I tried to defend it. I was comfortable in that position and thankfully I was able to get out.”
Training with Langbayans pays off for Pacatiw
That’s when months of training with brothers Gibran and Godwin Langbayan paid off for Pacatiw.
The Langbayan brothers have been helping Lions Nation MMA with its grappling, and Pacatiw credits them for their guidance.
“I’m happy because Professor Gibran and Kuya Godwin, alongside my Lions Nation teammates, are pushing me to my limits,” he said.
“It’s the small details. Professor Gibran always calls me out about my mistakes when I’m applying the rear-naked choke. Before our fight, during my last training, he was still correcting my mistakes, so it was like a refresher. I am always thankful for the corrections,” Pacatiw said.
Having won three of his four bouts in ONE, Pacatiw believes it’s time he fights stronger opposition.
“I want to face someone from the top five and, if I’m able to get the win, I’ll jump above them and prove my worth,” he said.
“At the end of the day, it’s ONE Championship’s decision. I’ll face whoever they give me, but I hope to be able to compete against the top five.”
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