AFTER his stupendous promotional debut, Jeremy "The Juggernaut" Pacatiw is setting his sights on one man.
Dream match
"Gusto kong subukan si Lineker," he said during his media availability on Wednesday, indicating that a bout against no. 1 bantamweight contender John "Hands of Stone" Lineker is the dream match he wants the most.
"Nakita ko ang paghandle niya ng pressure and talagang 'Hands of Stone' siya."
For Pacatiw, 24, a fight against Lineker would be a tantalizing prospect as he believes he has what it takes to bring the Brazilian down and, in the process, boost his stock in the bantamweight division.
"Yung technique ko sa laban, tingin medyo mahihirapan siya."
It's still a pipe dream, though, and right now, Pacatiw is just elated to have gotten his first match over with, scoring a unanimous decision win over "The Ghost" Chen Rui at ONE: Battleground last Friday.
"Masayang masaya ako na nanalo ako sa debut natin. Hindi ko ma-explain yung nararamdaman ko kasi mixed emotions talaga," he said.
Pacatiw backed his words up, showcasing what the new breed of Team Lakay is all about with his extensive grappling game as he repeatedly took Chen to the ground.
To him, it's a statement of how the Baguio-based stable has evolved over the years, from the traditional strikers from their wushu sanda expertise to now being well-rounded fighters ready to take the fight either on the ground or standing up.
"Kailangan talaga natin ipakita ang new breed ng Team Lakay, na kami na next generation are really complete fighters," he said.
Pacatiw surely is on the ascent, but he said that it's just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what he could do, promising to show more in his next fights.
"Yung goal ko is to be on the top. Kung sino man ang ibibigay ng ONE Championship is tatanggapin ko. Ang gusto ko lang manalo ng manalo," he said, before promising one last thing for his next fight.
"Sa next na laro, makikita niyo ang next version ng Jeremy 'The Juggernaut' Pacatiw."
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