Geje Eustaquio, Joshua Pacio, and brothers Eric and Edward Kelly are slated to see action in the first of four ONE events slated in Manila this 2018 scheduled on January 26, 2018 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
All of ‘em, save for Pacio, are coming off losses and the three Team Lakay fighters would try to end their losing streak.
Headlining ONE: Global Superheroes on said Friday evening are Team Lakay’s “Gravity” Eustaquio and former ONE flyweight world champion Kairat Akhmetov of Kazakhstan for the Interim Flyweight World Championship.
This will be a rematch between Eustaquio and Akhmetov and the Gravity is looking to avenged himself from the painful loss resulting in their first match.
Eustaquio started 2017 with a split decision victory over Anatpong Bunrad on May 17, but could not overcome the overwhelming Greco Roman wrestling chops of Akhmetov, bowing to a closely-contested split decision during ONE: Total Victory last September 21.
Eustaquio is looking to reverse the outcome in an expected brawl between this two well-matched pair of combatants in the cage.
‘The Passion’ Pacio, the former ONE Strawweight World Title Challenger, is the only one coming off a win. He is looking to establish another winning streak with a victory over his opponent, the unbeaten “Smiling Assassin” of Thailand, Pongsiri Misatit.
“The Passion” is on a rollercoaster ride in his last four fights.
He is coming off a sensational win over compatriot Roy Doliquez, whom he knocked out with a spinning back fist last November 10, 2017.
Before the win, however, he suffered the second loss of his career as he was forced to tap out due to a rear-naked choke from the unbeaten Hayato Suzuki in the first round last August 5, 2017 Suzuki at Kings and Conquerors.
His only other defeat was an unsuccessful attempt to dethrone Yoshitaka Naito as king of the ONE Strawweight division on October 7, 2016.
These twin losses sandwich a split decision victory over Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke last March 11, 2017.
Pacio won all of his first eight fights.
In the meantime, Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly will also try to right his track as he takes on Meas Meul of Cambodia.
In his last fight, Kelly ran out of gas to drop a unanimous decision in his last bout against the ONE debuting Emilio “The Honey Badger” Urrutia at Quest for Greatness last August 18, 2017.
Before the Urrutia loss, his only fight in 2017, The Ferocious was on a three-fight winning streak, registering a perfect three wins in three fights in 2016 that includes victories over Sunoto Peringkat, Vincent Latoel, and Jordan Lucas.
Eric ‘The Natural’ Kelly, a ONE featherweight contender, is showcasing his talents on Philippine soil for the first time since 2013 when he squares with Brazil’s Rafael ‘Indo’ Nunes.
The Natural faded after a strong start to yield to another heartbreaking loss with a third round TKO against Kotetsu Boku at Kings and Conquerors last August 5, 2017.
The Natural is on 3-bout losing streak that lasted over two years. His last win came against Hiroshige Tanaka on October, 2015.
By: ARMANDO M. BOLISLIS
