Former ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio “The Rock” Banario may have lost his in previous match in The Home of Martial Arts, but he vows to avoid another losing streak.
The 29-year-old Banario is scheduled to go toe-to-toe with South Korean “Crazy Dog” Dae Sung Park at ONE: DAWN OF HEROES which emanates from the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines, 2 August.
This will be Banario’s second appearance in the ONE Circle, as he lost to American wrestling powerhouse Lowen Tynanes in the quarter-finals of the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix at ONE: HERO’S ASCENT in Manila in January 2018.
Knowing what it’s like to be in the middle of a bad losing streak, Banario will do everything to avoid it.
“Honestly, losing sucks. It’s not a good feeling to have. But on a positive note, I admit that I’ve learned a lot from my loss against Tynanes,” Banario said.
“There was a time in my career where I lost five straight and I don’t plan on going back to that situation. That’s why I’ll give it my all. I still have a lot to offer and a lot to achieve in my career,” he added.
The pride of Mankayan, Benguet is confident that he is peaking at the right time and he is excited to show his dangerous form in front of his countrymen anew.
“I’m ready both mentally and physically. I really want to get that win in front of my Filipino fans who never get tired supporting me, win or lose.”
Training relentlessly along with his teammates who will also compete on the same card, Banario believes his work rate has already moved up a notch.
With workhorses like Eduard “Landslide” Folayang grinding with him in their daily training sessions, Banario already feels like he is a different man heading to this contest.
“I changed a lot of things, particularly in my mindset as an athlete. Now I’m more dedicated and confident, I have this extra push which makes me want to be better. I feel faster and stronger,” Banario said.
“I also focused on my cardio because no matter how good the game plan is, if you run out of air, you won’t be executing it.”
Though his confidence may be soaring, Banario is aware that his South Korean counterpart won’t be an easy test to solve given that Park is also trying to establish his name at the 77.1-kilogram weight class.
Park is a product of ONE Warrior Series Season 1 and is unbeaten in all of his three matches since joining the ONE Championship banner.
The 26-year-old native of Seoul, Korea is looking to collect his second win in less than a month time after beating Kimihiro Eto at ONE: MASTERS OF DESTINY last 12 July.
Regardless of Park’s impressive resume, Banario believes his willingness will be more than enough to tow him to a huge victory.
“He’s really been impressive since joining ONE. But as I’ve said it’s all about trusting your talent and skills,” Banario said.
“We both want to prove something this August 2. So don’t be surprised if this ends up as the fight of the night.”
Want to catch Honorio Banario and the rest of Team Lakay at ONE: DAWN OF HEROES? Get your tickets here and use the promo code ONEHERO for a 25 percent discount.
