MMA: Pinoy Geje Eustaquio focused on ONE FC title shot

“I'm not that good a grappler, wrestler, or striker” admits Geje Eustaquio.

This is an interesting thing for a fighter to say just weeks before battles for a ONE Fighting Championship title. But his addendum explains it all.

“But I'm capable of implementing our game plan.”

Adriano Moraes from Brazil stands between Eustaquio and the ONE FC flyweight (56.7 kg) belt. They will match up on September 12 in Phnom Penh as the main event of ONE FC: Rise of the Kingdom, the first time the MMA promotion will visit the Indochinese nation.

In his last foray into the ONE FC ring, Eustaquio won an impressive unanimous decision over Japan's Kentaro Watanabe in ONE FC: Era of Champions last June in Jakarta. On the same card, Moraes used employed an arm-triangle choke to force a tap out from Kosuke Suzuki, also from Japan, in the third round of their clash.

Moraes, like most Brazilian fighters, is a master of the ground game, with five of his eleven wins coming via submission. He has only lost once. Eustaquio stakes a 6-2 slate against him, and the 25-year-old doesn't lack self-belief.

“Confidence will determine the result of the fight” says the Team Lakay standout. “I can't lose that or else my title shot is over.”

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Preparation is going to be another key, and Eustaquio is certainly not leaving any stone unturned. His daily workout includes morning conditioning sessions and sparring work, while his evenings are spent honing his technique with repetitive routines.

“Training at Team Lakay is always hell for most especially if you are set for a championship” admits Eustaquio. “It's not advisable for normal individuals because it's totally crazy.”

There is one punishing bit of his training that Eustaquio definitely performs reluctantly: the “super man” runs, namely five sets of 400 meter flat-out sprints at Baguio's track oval.

“Those runs make me feel like my intestines are about to come out” confesses the fighter.

No doubt Eustaquio shows plenty of guts every time he steps into the ring. The former Wushu star is a patient, composed fighter who appears far more mature in the ring than his age and boyish looks suggest. Even when the momentum is not on his side and his opponent it the aggressor, he can sit back and wait for his chance. He is also a fine takedown artist who is a handful on the ground. Check out his fight against Eugene Toquero from last December's ONE FC fight night, a unanimous decision win for the Baguio boy.

Eustaquio is a member of Baguio's fabled Team Lakay MMA stable, coached by Mark Sangiao. He started the Chinese martial art of Wushu, a gateway for many Pinoys to MMA, at the age of 14. His talent for the game won him a scholarship at the University of the Cordilleras, where he earned a bachelor of science in secondary education.

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Geje's father was a farmer-turned tire salesman and his mother a housewife, but he and his siblings all slaved hard to get sheepskin. His sister is a registered nurse and a younger sister is about to graduate college with a degree in civil engineering. His youngest brother, Dickson, is still in high school and is also getting into mixed martial arts.

The ethos of Eustaquio's ethnic group, Igorot, values education greatly. Lakay stablemates Eduard Folayang, Kevin Belingon and Honorio Banario are all college graduates.

“Once born, every Igorot is really pushed to make it to graduation” explains Eustaquio, who has both Kanana-ey and Ibaloi blood coursing through the veins that pop out of his bulging biceps.

“I can still remember the saying uttered in our region (in Ilocano, the language spoken in much of the north of the Philippines) “agskwela kayo ta han kayo matulad kanyami nga awan nagadalan na, ken tapno hankayo nga kakaasi mu agpamilya kayo.”

Translation: “study now so you won't end up like us, who never made it to college and so that when you have a family they won't be hard up.”

Eustaquio is now taking up a master's degree in Physical Education, with a thesis on weight loss. But work on the paper is temporarily on hold while he chases a ONE FC title.

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“For now, all my time is devoted to my belt. I'm really willing to sacrifice a lot to have it.”

But even if a belt will adorn his waist soon, Eustaquio will nonetheless likely stay humble. After all, he refers to his occupation on his Facebook as “Janitor at Lakay Central Gym.” And amazingly, it's actually true.

“Team Lakay has no bosses and no janitor. Everyone is a boss and everyone is a janitor. We mop the mats after our workouts and put them out so that they can dry in the sun. We clean every corner to make sure it's a sanitized place for individuals that promotes people's health.”

The manual labor obviously keeps him grounded and also spurs him to succeed.

“I believe that being humble can give you access to a lot of opportunities” continues Eustaquio.

Humility and hard work have given Eustaquio his shot at glory. Now it's up to him to make the most out of it.

The next ONE FC fight night is on August 29 in Dubai and is called ONE FC: Reign of Champions. There will be two Filipinos in that card. Vaughn Donayre meets the UAE's Mohamed Walid in a catchweight bout while Fil-Am Ana Julaton tangles with Malaysia's Ann Osman in a women's flyweight contest.

Both Reign of Champions and Rise of the Kingdom will be aired on Star Sports. You can follow ONE FC on Twitter @ONEFCMMA. Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH.