AT first glance, it seems that Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado is walking straight into another loss when he takes on Hiroba Minowa for his return bout.
Having struggled against wrestlers in the past, Miado faces yet another strong grappler when they clash in a strawweight MMA bout at ONE Fight Night 23: Buntan vs. Meksen on 6 July inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Despite being perceived as the underdog, Miado remains confident in his ability to fill the holes in his ground game entering this matchup against the 24-year-old Japanese fighter.
It might not be an ideal outing for Miado, but “The Jaguar” promises his supporters that he’s going to come out stronger than ever.
“I’m working double on my training sessions. I know the weaknesses that I have to work on as a fighter, and I assure you I’m doing everything to fix it,” he said.
“The previous losses showed me what exactly I have to work on to continue to develop as a fighter, and it gives me the opportunity to grow more.”
Two of his three previous outings resulted in submission losses, with Mansur Malachiev and Keito Yamakita easily taking him down and scoring quick submission wins.
And in his rematch against fellow striker Lito Adiwang, Miado gave up crucial points when he fell victim to his compatriot’s takedowns.
Though he’s facing a guy who can expose his weaknesses, the 31-year-old is unfazed considering he’s had plenty of time to prepare.
“I won’t back down from any fight,” Miado said.
“If there’s an offer, the only thing we can do is to prepare well. Good preparation is always the key, and that’s what I’ll be coming with in this fight.”
In the middle of the worst stretch of his career, the pride of Bicol Province has never lost confidence in himself.
He knows that he belongs here. He knows that he can become a World Champion one day. And he knows, this time, he has to fight like it – whether standing up or on the ground.
“There are a lot of things that can happen in this match. There are a bevy of ways that I can win in an MMA fight,” he said.
“I believe in my skills, I’m confident with what I can do, and I know that I can overcome these challenges that I’m facing right now.”
