ONE: PINNACLE OF POWER in Macau, China
on June 23 is one of the deepest cards from top to bottom offered by ONE
Championship for its 24-event calendar this 2018.
From the preliminary portion to the
main card of ONE: PINNACLE OF POWER, there are plenty of bouts with
championship and ranking implications, including the three-round flyweight
encounter between former title contender Danny Kingad and Chinese prospect Ma
Hao Bin.
The winner of the aforementioned
61.2-kilogram tussle could earn a shot at the ONE Flyweight World Championship,
which will be on the line in the main event of ONE: PINNACLE OF POWER as
Adriano Moraes is slated to duke it out with Geje Eustaquio in a much-awaited
rematch and title unification contest.
Kingad is now trying to build some
momentum towards a second crack at the ONE Flyweight World Championship, while
Ma has aced six of his assignments since joining the promotion in 2016.
However, the 22-year-old Baguio City
native finds himself in a peculiar position if he and his teammate Eustaquio
will walk out of the Studio City Event Center with respective victories.
Kingad knows that he has to be
relegated to a gatekeeping role if Eustaquio will be successful in unifying
both titles against Moraes at ONE: PINNACLE OF POWER.
“I will be super happy for coach Geje
if he wins the match in Macau. It’s an honor to be competing alongside him on
June 23. I’ve learned a lot of things from him. For this training camp, I’ve
spent more time with him. I want him to win the title,” he said.
Although he could be knocking on the
door for a world title shot again with a decisive win over Ma, Kingad stressed
that he will gladly play gatekeeper to Eustaquio.
“I don’t mind filling that role if ever
he wins against Adriano Moraes. He is my senior, and we are teammates. He is
like a brother to me,” he stated. “I am still young. I believe that my time
will come.”
Kingad is not fond of the idea of
squaring off with Eustaquio for the flyweight crown, pointing out that he would
not trade his treasured friendship with his Team Lakay comrade for a shot at
the world title.
“That's not going to happen. We always
go at it in practice anyway. I'm happy that I get to spar with him all the time
because he pushes me to the limit. We push each other, and we push each other
to the next level,” he shared.
“I will support coach Geje all the way.
For now, I'll just keep getting better as a competitor. I'll wait for my time,”
Kingad added.
Following an unsuccessful challenge for
the ONE Flyweight World Championship this past November against Moraes, which
ended in his first professional defeat, Kingad rebounded with an impressive
triumph over a battle-tested veteran in Sotir Kichukov four months later.
Kingad seeks to sustain his winning
groove in ONE Championship as he is set to take on Ma, a Chinese national
freestyle wrestling champion with a mixed martial arts record of 11-2.
Diligently preparing under the tutelage
of head coach Mark Sangiao at Team Lakay in Baguio City, Kingad is fully aware
of his opponent’s capabilities.
“Training is, as usual, very tough. We
are drilling very hard each and every day. I am still working on all areas, be
it my striking or my grappling,” he mentioned.
“Knowing my opponent is a good
wrestler, however, I am particularly working on my takedown defense for this
match. I want to keep this fight standing, so I have worked very hard on my
takedown defense,” Kingad explained further.
Despite the threat that Ma poses in the
grappling department, Kingad assured that he is comfortable wherever the bout
goes on June 23.
“I want to test his stand-up game. I
believe I am stronger, faster, and more explosive than he is,” he disclosed. “I
am definitely going for a knockout in this match. However, if he does take me
to the ground, I will be ready for anything.”
Kingad believes that his in-ring
meeting with Ma at ONE: PINNACLE OF POWER is a must-win clash as he embarks on
a hazy road towards the organization’s flyweight championship.
“I must win this bout because honestly,
I don’t know what the future holds. What if we don’t get the result that we
want for coach Geje? I am ready to step up. I cannot wait to get right back in
there and make another run at the title. I know things will be very different
next time,” he ended.
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