PHL's Eustaquio says he has what it takes to beat former champ Akhmetov

MANILA - Filipino mixed martial arts flyweight contender Geje Eustaquio of Baguio City's Team Lakay expected a hard yet winnable battle when he takes on former ONE flyweight champion Kairat Akhmetov in the main event of "ONE: Global Superheroes" on January 26 at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

Eustaquio first met Akhmetov inside the cage last September in Jakarta ,where he lost by a razor thin split decision after three rounds of back and forth action.

Their upcoming fight will be for the ONE interim flyweight title, and Eustaquio believed that a win would be his ticket to the division's gold-plated strap.

"I am expecting another difficult bout. Kairat Akhmetov is tough and has a huge heart inside the cage. That is why I am preparing very well for this rematch," says the 28-year-old Eustaquio. "A victory over Kairat would land me a rematch against Adriano Moraes. I believe I have what it takes to become the undisputed ONE Flyweight World Champion in the future."

Akhmetov, meanwhile, was aware that he also would have to deal with a passionate Filipino crowd when he fights Eustaquio in an-expected-to-be-packed Mall of Asia Arena.

But the former champion was unfazed, pointing out that a win over Eustaquio was a must to become a world title holder again.

"I am coming into this interim title match-up with the mentality that it will be me versus the world, and I am ready for it," said Akhmetov. "In 2018, I am looking forward to reaching my dream to battle Adriano Moraes for the third time. But of course, I have to beat Geje Eustaquio first to fulfill my dream." — DVM, GMA News