Former ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio successfully took the first step on the road to redemption as he dominated his South Korean rival Kim Kyu Sung on the main card of ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON last Friday, 17 May.
Showing much better form this time, the Filipino overwhelmed Sung with his superior striking en route to a unanimous decision victory at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
What makes Eustaquio’s win even more impressive is the fact that he had to adjust accordingly to his adversary’s offense as the match wore on.
Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao actually wanted his star pupil to secure early takedowns and take the action to the ground so they could neutralize the length advantage of the six-foot Sung.
That, of course, did not happen. However, Sangiao was proud of Eustaquio’s efforts altogether.
“Our game plan was to control him on the ground,” the legendary coach reveals.
“But in the first and second round, Geje was kind of hesitant because he couldn’t really get the foot of Kim. In the third round, we were finally able to get him down.
“I wish it would have been earlier, but it’s all trivial now ‘cause we won via unanimous decision."
Despite the massive height and reach advantage, Eustaquio was able to cut the distance using his punches and kicks, which scored him points in the eyes of the judges.
However, the win was certainly not a walk in the park as the South Korean giant showed life in the final stanza. He connected with some solid punches and used his long reach to keep “Gravity” at bay.
"In the last round, Geje kind of slowed down. I noticed he was slowing down, and I was kind of nervous at that time, but the nice thing about Geje is he knows what he’s doing in there," Sangiao said.
"For all the things that he was doing — the heavy blows, and the spinning kicks and fist — that takes a lot out of you. That’s why he got tired."
Sangiao admitted that they wanted to get the stoppage.
Even though the match did not entirely play out as they had imagined, he was happy Eustaquio showcased his full arsenal against a very game Sung.
“We wanted a finish, but he was tough and he was long. Geje’s follow-ups weren’t going through,” the coach continued.
“A win is a win. What’s important is that we have secured the victory and put us a step closer in bringing back the belt here in the Philippines.”
