EKO Roni Saputra is determined to take a spot among the flyweight contenders in the region.
The Indonesian fighter believes toppling No. 3 contender Danny Kingad would be a big step.
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Saputra and Kingad clash on Feb. 25 in One Fight Night 7: Lineker vs. Andrade II at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
“I want to prove myself again by being in the top five. I want to compete. If I lose [against a] top five, it means that I am not yet worthy to be there, right?” he said.
“This is why I want to prove that I belong there, and I will keep challenging all other fighters above me.”
Eko Roni saputra against Ramon Gonzales
Saputra is confident he can clinch a spot in the MMA outfit’s flyweight rankings, having won seven straight fights.
“I want to open this first fight of the year in a spectacular way. I want to give the best, fight with my maximum abilities, especially for Indonesia.
“I will fight until I no longer can, because I want to prove that Indonesian MMA is bigger than what people think, and that the world should give respect.”
Saputra, an Instructor at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts in Singapore, says there’s no pressure from the team, but he has set the bar high for himself.
“It’s not important for them whether I take over the rankings or not, but it’s more about how I can fight at my best,” he continued.
“However, I have placed all of this upon myself, because the one who decides to succeed or not is only myself. Nevertheless, this is also the reason why I am in Singapore now. I want to reach the top ranks, to fight big names.”
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