Oozing with confidence, Eustaquio guarantees win in unification bout

MANILA, Philippines — To say Geje Eustaquio is confident ahead of his title unification fight would be an understatement.

“He’s proven [himself]. He’s been here a long time. But this is my time,” the 29-year-old interim flyweight champion said. “I have more will compared to Adriano (Moraes).

Eustaquio will be taking on the reigning ONE Championship flyweight kingpin next Saturday, and most of the optimistic energy, the former said, is thanks to the full training camp he’s having with his fight stable.

“I guess the difference now is that the one we had is a full camp,” Eustaquio, who belongs to the Cordillera’s famed Team Lakay, shared. “The training is harsh. The training is hard.

“But the thing is, I’m in the best team in the world, and they’re always got my back. Every minute [of training], we’re enjoying it,” he added.

The Filipino needs no more introduction to his foe as he and Moraes already duked it out in 2014 for the right to claim the vacant division throne. The former lost.

This time, Eustaquio added, aside from riding on the trend that he’s been winning rematches, he is also coming into the ONE cage a grown grappler.

"2014 talagang Grade 1 pa tayo noon in terms of grappling. But I’ve shown the world how I grew up. I’m a bit more confident now that I could roll with Brazilian black-belters,” he offered.

Eustaquio said the next time tangles with the Brazilian fighter, the result will be determined by the gap in skill set. He noted precision and timing will be the keys.

"It’s not about the jiu-jitsu, it’s not about the stand-up,” he said.

“Precision and timing — those are the things, which I think, will be important in this fight."

Eustaquio and Moraes face off in the co-main event of ONE’s “Pinnacle of Power” on June 23 at the City Studio Event Center in Macau, China.

“They say it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance, so I have to make it and bring the belt home,” said Eustaquio.