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Fil-Aussie contender Reece McLaren likes his chances against flyweight champ Moraes
Filipino-Australian mixed martial arts contender Reece McLaren is feeling strong and in his prime ahead of his title showdown against ONE flyweight world champion Adriano Moraes on March 9 at Axiata Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
McLaren, 26, proved to be a talent worth keeping an eye on when he took the fight with Mark Striegl on late notice in 2015.
The young Fil-Aussie showcased his well-roundedness that night and ultimately won by submission against the local favorite in Striegl.
He also challenged Bibiano Fernandes for the ONE bantamweight title a couple of years ago, and while he lost the contest by a razor thin split decision, McLaren nonetheless gave the reigning champ his toughest fight to date.
Having gone down a weight class, McLaren feels he's now in a division where he should've been a long time ago.
"Making bantamweight was may be a bit too easy. Basically, I was eating pretty much whatever I wanted and was on weight, so it made sense to restrict what I was eating a little and go down if I could. And obviously, I could! You need to find the most optimal place for yourself, and I think this is it. My weight felt good, my body felt good. Everything felt just prime," revealed McLaren.
"I felt really strong. Well, I do not know if I felt strong, or the other guy just felt lighter because I am used to the bigger guys. I have always been a small bantamweight, so going down a division where I am sizable, or at least equal in size, felt like a new experience."
McLaren has also been tapped by no other than two-division champion Martin Nguyen to help the latter prepare for his upcoming fight with Fernandes.
Having a world class training camp in preparation for his second shot at a world title, McLaren is optimistic that his best form yet would show up come fight night.
"After the Bibiano match, we have evolved. Whatever you saw in that bout, I am like version 2.4 now. Next time, it might be version 3.0. Everything is improving in camp. I am busy everyday training, so I am just excited to get back to the gym and train for the next match-up," said McLaren.
"He is (Adriano Moraes) the world champ for a reason. He is really good and very well-rounded. [He will] be a really good test for me. I believe that I am one of the best in the world, so I think I am way up there, but this is why we compete, to prove that. There is no point just thinking you are the best; you have got to back it up and show it." — BAP, GMA News
