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MMA: Geje Eustaquio earns payback win to secure ONE interim flyweight title

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Dennis Gasgonia, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/sports/01/27/geje-eustaquio-one-champ-2018-012518.jpg"/><figcaption>Geje Eustaquio drops to his knees following his unanimous-decision win Friday. Courtesy of ONE Championship</figcaption></figure></div>Geje Eustaquio displayed a superior set of techniques to baffle and dominate Kairat Akhmetov of Kazakhstan to win the ONE Championship interim flyweight title at Mall of Asia Arena Friday night.Ever the tactician, Eustaquio showed superb striking and impressive ground defense to ward off a lot of Akhmetov&#x27;s takedown attempts.At one point, Eustaquio (10-6) almost trapped Akhmetov with a knee bar. His efforts earned him a unanimous-decision win, avenging a close defeat to Akhmetov in September.He thus joined ONE heavyweight champion Brandon Vera among the only Filipinos to hold world MMA titles.&quot;This belt is not mine, but it&#x27;s ours. I&#x27;m proud to represent this flag, this country,&quot; said Eustaquio. &quot;It&#x27;s ours, guys!&quot;He then called out ONE regular flyweight king Adriano Moraes, who was at the venue. &quot;Give me one more try, Adriano. I&#x27;ll give you a better fight this time,&quot; Eustaquio said.Moraes congratulated the Filipino and accepted the challenge.&quot;Geje really deserved it tonight. I have too much respect for this guy. I&#x27;d like to do it again,&quot; Moraes said.In the co-main event, Joshua Pacio displayed a superior ground game against Lan Ming Qiang of China in their strawweight battle. After scoring a takedown, Pacio secured a full mount and fed Lan with pointed elbows. Hurt, the Chinese fighter was forced to turn and surrender his back, allowing Pacio to sink his arm around Lan&#x27;s neck.It didn&#x27;t take long before Pacio (11-2) forced Lan to tap out via rear naked choke. The win puts Pacio in a potential clash with newly crowned strawweight champion Alex Silva of Brazil.In an all-Filipina atomweight bout, Jomary Torres continued her climb up the domestic MMA ranks by stunning April Osenio to establish herself as a legitimate title contender.The end came when Osenio, coming off 2 straight setbacks before meeting Torres, tried securing an arm bar against the Zamboanga fighter.But Torres would have none of that, as she pounded Osenio with vicious hammer fists to knock out the Team Lakay fighter 40 seconds into the first round.Torres, best remembered for his giant upset against fancied Thai Rika Ishige last year, now has a 4-0 record.Edward &quot;The Ferocious&quot; Kelly lived up to his nickname with a shocking knockout victory over Cambodian Meas Meul.What was expected to be a 3-round featherweight bout ended abruptly, in 21 seconds to be exact, when Kelly surprised Meas with a stunning head kick that instantly knocked out the Cambodian fighter.It was a great bounce-back win by Kelly who lost to Emilio Urrutia last August.Kelly&#x27;s older brother, Eric, meanwhile, lost his fourth straight bout when he fell against Rafael Nunes of Brazil.Eric tried to snap out of a 3-fight slump, but he wasn&#x27;t able to do much against the taller Brazilian.Nunes caught him on the ground, locked the Filipino&#x27;s head and arm, then forced a tap-out via anaconda choke.(For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.)

Geje Eustaquio defeated Kairat Akhmetov via unanimous decision to win the ONE Championship interim flyweight world title on Friday.

Geje Eustaquio defeated Kairat Akhmetov via unanimous decision to win the ONE Championship interim flyweight world title on Friday.

MMA: Geje Eustaquio earns payback win to secure ONE interim flyweight title

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MMA: Geje Eustaquio earns payback win to secure ONE interim flyweight title

Dennis Gasgonia,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 26, 2018 11:37 PM PHT

|

Updated Jan 27, 2018 03:32 AM PHT

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MMA

mixed martial arts

ONE Championship

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