Geje Eustaquio Earns ONE Interim Flyweight World Championship with Unanimous Decision Over Kairat Akhmetov

The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), sent the Mall of Asia Arena crowd into a frenzy last Friday night in Manila, with another thrilling evening of authentic martial arts action. The absolute best in local and international martial arts talent took to the ONE Championship cage at ONE: GLOBAL SUPERHEROES to showcase their incredible skills. In the main event, Geje Eustaquio walked out of the arena to a roar of adulation and with the ONE Interim Flyweight World Championship around his waist, defeating former world champion Kairat Akhmetov.

In the main event of ONE: GLOBAL SUPERHEROES, Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio of Baguio City, Philippines clinched the ONE Interim Flyweight World Championship, edging Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov by unanimous decision in an exhilarating five-round title tilt. Although Akhmetov managed to showcase his wrestling, it was largely ineffective against Eustaquio, who was far superior in the striking department for the majority of the bout. Eustaquio repeatedly connected on Akhmetov with crisp, clean combinations throughout the championship contest. In the end, all three judges saw the bout in favor of Eustaquio to win by unanimous decision.

Geje Eustaquio, ONE Interim Flyweight World Champion, stated: “I don’t know what to say. This belt is not mine to take, it’s ours. Thank you to my family who was always there from the start, coach Mark Sangiao, and the entire Team Lakay who never doubted me and always believed that one day I would stand here holding this belt. I am proud to represent this flag all throughout the world. Here is your world champion from the Philippines. Adriano [Moraes] I know you’re there. I got a belt! Give me one more try and I hope to give you a better challenge this time.”

In the co-main event of the evening, 22-year-old Joshua “The Passion” Pacio unveiled an improved grappling game, submitting China’s Lan Ming Qiang via rear naked choke in the very first round. Pacio started off with his world-class wushu, operating from range with fast and powerful kicks. After taking the action to the mat, Pacio effortlessly took mount and pounded on his foe who soon gave up the back. With the body triangle locked in, Pacio sunk his forearm underneath Lan’s neck and secured the bout-ending maneuver.

Rafael “Indio” Nunes of Brazil made a triumphant return to the ONE Championship cage after two years away from competition to defeat Filipino featherweight veteran Eric “The Natural” Kelly by second-round submission. The 30-year-old Muay Thai specialist kept Kelly on the defensive with his striking before taking matters to the ground and sinking in a deep d’arce choke to score the finish.

In the first ever traditional Muay Thai bout inside the ONE Championship cage, multi-division Lumpinee World Champion Sam-A Gaiyanghadao emerged triumphant against WBC Muay Thai Super Bantamweight World Champion Joseph “The Hurricane” Lasiri. Gaiyanghadao showcased his trademark power to dominate from start to finish, winning by technical knockout.

A grueling flyweight showdown between “The Southern Eagle” Ma Hao Bin of China and Sotir Kichukov of Bulgaria transpired inside the ONE Championship cage. Neither of the two would give each other any quarter for three whole rounds, as they traded their best offense all throughout. Although Kichukov would have his moments on the feet, most of the action took place on the ground where Ma enjoyed a  tremendous advantage. In the end, Ma turned in another well-rounded performance to claim victory via unanimous decision.

Japanese grappling prodigy Hayato Suzuki placed himself back on the winning track, pulling off a first-round submission victory over former world title contender Yago Bryan of Brazil. With 57 seconds remaining in the opening period of the strawweight contest, Suzuki latched onto a wrenching rear naked choke to force the tap, notching his eighth submission win as a professional.

Emilio “The Honey Badger” Urrutia of the United States continued his impressive run in ONE Championship, knocking out Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Bruno Pucci in the first round. Urrutia stifled Pucci with crisp boxing combinations, making it difficult for the Brazilian to bring the action to the mat. Urrutia secured the statement-making finish by connecting on a sensational left hook past the midway point, sending Pucci crashing to the canvas.

Filipino featherweight standout Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly delivered a sensational first-round knockout of opponent Meas Meul, dropping the Cambodian with a high kick merely seconds into the bout. At the opening bell, Kelly engaged Meul at the center of the cage and connected on a quick three-punch combination before delivering the final blow that sent Meul face first into the canvas.

Jomary Torres of Manila, Philippines scored the most impressive win of her young career, authoring a swift knockout finish over Team Lakay atomweight ace April Osenio. Torres left a lasting impression in her third trip to the ONE Championship cage, driving Osenio to the mat with a high-impact slam before putting the final touches with follow-up ground strikes to claim the knockout.

Rajinder Singh Meena of India captured his first victory inside the ONE Championship cage, defeating highly-touted Chinese lightweight prospect Zhang Ze Hao by way of first-round submission. Determined to break into the winner’s column, Meena needed just 42 seconds in the opening round to put Zhang to sleep with a guillotine choke.

Kicking off ONE: GLOBAL SUPERHEROES was a riveting strawweight encounter as Indonesian dynamo Adrian Matheis squared off against the debuting Eddey Kalai of Malaysia. Matheis weathered a gutsy opening sequence from Eddey, who effortlessly pummeled the ONE Strawweight Indonesia Tournament Champion with his superb boxing. The complexion of the contest took a drastic turn when Matheis gained leverage on the mat, catching Kalai with a rear naked choke to force the tap.

Official results for ONE: GLOBAL SUPERHEROES

ONE Interim Flyweight World Championship bout: Geje Eustaquio defeats Kairat Akhmetov by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 5 rounds

Strawweight bout: Joshua Pacio defeats Lan Ming Qiang by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:01 minutes of round 1

Featherweight bout: Rafael Nunes defeats Eric Kelly by Submission (D’Arce Choke) at 1:31 minutes of round 2

Muay Thai bout: Sam-A Gaiyanghadao defeats Joseph “The Hurricane” Lasiri by TKO (Strikes) at 2:30 minutes of round 2

Flyweight bout: Ma Hao Bin defeats Sotir Kichukov by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Strawweight bout: Hayato Suzuki defeats Yago Bryan by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:03 minutes of round 1

Featherweight bout: Emilio Urrutia defeats Bruno Pucci by Knockout (KO) at 3:33 minutes of round 1

Featherweight bout: Edward Kelly defeats Meas Meul by Knockout (KO) at 0:21 minutes of round 1

Women’s strawweight bout: Jomary Torres defeats April Osenio by Knockout (KO) at 0:40 minutes of round 1

Lightweight bout: Rajinder Singh Meena defeats Zhang Ze Hao by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 0:42 minutes of round 1

Strawweight bout: Adrian Matheis defeats Eddey Kalai by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:15 minutes of round 1

In case you missed the action log on to www.onefc.com/livestream for the full replay of the fights at only US $9.99.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world's best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7-billion potential viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.

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ONE Championship Announces Full Bout Card for Return to Jakarta on September 16

Former ONE Flyweight World Champion Kairat Akhmetov is a veteran martial artist from Almaty, Kazakhstan. The 29-year-old boasts a solid 23-1 professional record amassed during a stellar martial arts career which has seen him dominate his opponents with tenacious wrestling and powerful striking. In his most recent appearance inside the ONE Championship cage, Akhmetov faced divisional rival Adriano Moraes for the right to be crowned the undisputed ONE Flyweight World Champion. Akhmetov fell just short of victory, losing by unanimous decision in a close bout. Determined to earn another shot at ONE Championship gold, a victory over Geje Eustaquio, whom Akhmetov will challenge in his next contest, could be the ticket to another title opportunity.

Top flyweight contender and former world title challenger Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio of  Baguio City, Philippines, is one of the most skilled martial artists in Asia, and a highly-decorated wushu practitioner. His solid striking and grappling skill set has led to huge victories over the course of a six-year professional martial arts career. Training in the high altitudes of the Philippines’ mountainous region, Eustaquio hones his craft alongside world-class teammates at the fabled Team Lakay. In his most recent bout, Eustaquio defeated fellow striker Anatpong Bunrad via split decision in a rematch. Known for his incredible ability to keep calm in the face of adversity, Eustaquio is set to headline ONE: TOTAL VICTORY opposite former ONE Flyweight World Champion Kairat Akhmetov.

Top Indonesian prospect Stefer Rahardian impressed in his ONE Championship debut by winning the ONE: TITLES & TITANS Flyweight Tournament in August of 2016. Rahardian finished both Yotha Hutagalung and Hendrick Wijaya by first round rear-naked choke to become the tournament winner. In his last outing, Rahardian outperformed Eugene Toquero to win by unanimous decision in three rounds. Now unbeaten at six wins and no losses, Rahardian puts his unblemished record on the line against Sim Bunsrun.

Sim Bunsrun is a 24-year-old KWC 3 Flyweight Tournament Champion currently competing in ONE Championship’s stacked flyweight division. He aced his first two assignments in the organization with flying colors, submitting compatriot Kun Sichan in December 2015 before outpointing Liu Peng Shuai a year later. Bunsrun now returns to the ONE Championship cage to go up against Indonesia’s Stefer Rahardian.

Cameroonian Alain “The Panther” Ngalani, who trains out of Impakt MMA in Hong Kong, is an exciting heavyweight contender with massive size and brutish strength. With the agility and the quickness of a lighter competitor, Ngalani is a terrifying combination of size and speed and is always looking to end matches early. A former kickboxing titleholder, Ngalani now looks to surprise local fans in attendance with another spectacular performance as he takes on former title challenger Hideki Sekine.

Japanese heavyweight Hideki “Shrek” Sekine holds a professional record of seven wins and one loss. He is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and has won multiple grappling tournaments across the globe. Known for his brute strength and technical grappling ability, Sekine owns three victories by submission and another three by knockout. In his last outing, he challenged Filipino-American superstar Brandon Vera for the ONE Heavyweight World Championship. Sekine looks to place himself back on the winning track as he squares off with Alain Ngalani.

25-year-old Yago Bryan of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a former Shooto South American Strawweight Champion who took on former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke in his promotional debut. Skilled in both the striking and grappling arts, Bryan is making his way back to the ONE Championship cage, this time against Roy Doliguez of the Philippines.

Roy Doliguez is a considered one of the best strawweights in Asia. Doliguez is also a former professional boxer with more than 40 pro bouts. He made his promotional debut in 2015, vying for the inaugural ONE Strawweight World Championship against Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke. His next bout will be against a fellow former title contender in Yago Bryan.

Indonesian martial artist “The Terminator” Sunoto is a WKF Indonesia Champion with a 6-3 professional record. With a penchant for grappling, three of Sunoto’s six victories have come by submission. The 32-year-old is known as an aggressive competitor who never backs down from a challenge. In his last bout, he scored a first-round stoppage victory over Cambodia’s Chan Heng. Sunoto looks to continue his winning ways as he is set to duke it out with Thai Rithy.

19-year-old Thai Rithy of Cambodia is a KWC Featherweight Champion who will make his ONE Championship debut as part of the promotion’s stacked featherweight division. He holds a professional record of five wins and two losses. Four of his five career victories have come by way of submission. Rithy is scheduled to make his first appearance inside the ONE Championship cage against Sunoto.

Jeremy “The Predator” Meciaz is a 25-year-old Indonesian National Grappling Champion who made the transition to professional martial arts competition in 2017. In the same year, he made his ONE Championship debut against unbeaten Chinese prospect Chen “Rock Man” Lei.  Meciaz now returns to the cage seeking victory, but will have to go through Hisyam Samsudin to claim success.

Hisyam “Zephyrus” Samsudin of Malaysia is a former WBF Asia-Pacific Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion who trains at the highly-regarded Borneo Tribal Squad with Ann “Athena” Osman and AJ “Pyro” Lias Mansor. Samsudin likes to pepper opponents with heavy handed strikes, utilizing his world-class boxing base. Samsudin’s next assignment is against Jeremy Meciaz.

“The Little Squirrel” Liu De Li Ge Ri Hu is an Inner Mongolia Wrestling Champion, holding a professional record of two wins and two losses. Liu De Li aims to make an astounding statement in his ONE Championship debut as he is booked to square off with Ramon Gonzales.

30-year-old Ramon “The Bicolano” Gonzales is a flyweight standout from the Philippines, representing Burn Soriano’s Hitman MMA. He has proven his karate mastery in competitions all over the world, but the former two-time Philippine National Kyokushin Karate Champion is determined to fully showcase his potential in ONE Championship. He will make his third appearance under the promotion’s banner against Liu De Li Ge Ri Hu.

Liberian combatant Jerome S. Paye made his ONE Championship debut in February 2016 against China’s Li Hao Jie. In the bout, Paye showcased a well-rounded set of techniques, stifling his opponent with an array of striking combinations. With the ability to make bouts difficult for any opponent, Paye will make his return to the ONE Championship cage in Jakarta, Indonesia to face former boxing world champion Yodsanan Sityodtong.

Former WBA Boxing World Champion Yodsanan “Little Tyson” Sityodtong of Thailand is known as a devastatingly powerful puncher, with the ability to utilize his heavy hands to stop foes with trademark combinations. With 47 knockouts in boxing and all three of his victories inside the ONE Championship cage ending in similar fashion, expect Sityodtong to always be on the lookout for an abrupt ending to his contests. Currently riding a two-bout winning streak, Sityodtong will be going for number three against Jerome S. Paye.

24-year-old Adrian Matheis of Jakarta, Indonesia, is a martial artist competing in ONE Championship’s talented strawweight division. In the ONE: TITLES & TITANS strawweight tournament in August 2016, Matheis defeated both Rustam Hutajulu and Roso Nugroho via scintillating knockouts in one night to be crowned tournament champion. In his next bout, Matheis crosses paths with the debuting Phat Soda.

28-year-old Phat Soda is a three-time National Khun Khmer Champion. In his glory days as a Cambodian kickboxing competitor, he left fans on the edge of their seats with his lightning-quick and pinpoint striking. Soda looks to emulate his Khun Khmer success in ONE Championship as he steps in the cage with Adrian Matheis.

Kicking off the action at ONE: TOTAL VICTORY are two promising young bantamweight prospects. Striking specialist Riski Umar takes on compatriot Adi Nugroho in a three-round contest. Umar is set to make his professional debut in his first ONE Championship stint, while Nugroho is determined to have his hand raised in his second appearance under the organization’s umbrella.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world's best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1 billion potential viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, OSN and more.

*This is Press Release

Lakay’s Geje Eustaquio Out to Defy Gravity, Seeks Redemption

While some fighters crumble at the mere hint of resistance, ONE Championship flyweight Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio of Team Lakay revels in it, maintaining a cool, calm demeanor in the face of imminent danger. Because of his icy composure, Eustaquio has been able to hang tough with some of the best fighters in his division.

On Friday night, December 11, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Philippines, Eustaquio (6-4) will take on China’s Yang Jianbing (5-1) in a three round flyweight contest in front of Eustaquio’s hometown Filipino crowd.

Eustaquio figured in two straight losses in his most recent outings, but it came against two solid opponents.

In September of 2014, Eustaquio challenged Brazilian Adriano Moraes for the ONE Flyweight World Championship in Cambodia. He lost by submission in the second round. In April of the following year, Eustaquio dropped a split decision to Thailand’s Anatpong Bunrad.

Though things have not exactly gone to plan, Eustaquio is still considered one of the most talented strikers at flyweight. Many of his peers are bigger, longer and more powerful, but few exhibit the kind of composure Eustaquio displays in the cage.

“It doesn’t matter how aggressive or strong my opponent is,” said Eustaquio.

“As long as I stick to the game plan laid out to me by my coaches, I will remain relaxed and composed no matter what. It’s all about sticking to the game plan. We work hard in the gym so that in the fight, I am never shaken.”

Eustaquio has been in the cage with the best, Moraes and Bunrad most recently.

Moraes, more of a grappling threat, was able to lock in a submission on Eustaquio but not after being out-classed in the striking department. Eustaquio also gave as good as he got against the intense Bunrad, eking out a split decision loss in an impressive performance.

In his first fight for the promotion, Eustaquio bested Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace, Alex Silva, showcasing great submission defense but Eustaquio knows he where he needs to improve his game.

“I need to improve my grappling confidence,” said Eustaquio. “I need to be able to grapple well enough to be confident in any situation on the ground. That’s my goal.”

The Filipino fighters up in Baguio City, where Eustaquio is from, are arguably the most talented mixed martial artists in the country today. The area has produced popular fighters like Eduard “Landslide” Folayang and Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon. Even Mark Striegl had once trained for a long period in the ‘City of Pines’.

Eustaquio is in great company.

Like his fellow Filipino superstars, he continues his career on Friday night, with one thing in his sights -- another crack at the ONE Flyweight World Championship.

“I’m ready for another go,” said Eustaquio.

“I am working towards getting another shot at the title. I am ready for the opportunity.”