A shift in environment might be what Jeremy Pacatiw needed when he returns to the One Championship circle against Wang Shuo in a bantamweight MMA clash in U.S. primetime on Friday, April 5.
And Pacatiw thinks his Chinese foe will bring out his best at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
“He’s a striker. I think he has a wushu base, which makes him a dangerous fighter, especially being a Chinese fighter. In his fight against Tatsumitsu Wada, I was impressed with his striking base,” said Pacatiw.
Since both men have a penchant for the stand-up game, Pacatiw believes versatility will be the key on April 5.
“The only question mark here is how he’ll look like at bantamweight. He moved up from flyweight, and we don’t know whether he got stronger or slower. We’ll see that in the fight,” Pacatiw added.
The 27-year-old has worked hard to become a complete mixed martial artist, competing in both kickboxing and grappling competitions since his last MMA appearance.
With his ever-expanding skill set, Pacatiw expects to finish his 29-year-old foe, but he also will also look to avoid being over-aggressive:
“I’m confident that I can hang with him wherever the fight goes. Being confident doesn’t mean being careless, though, as I have to be really careful. He can get really sneaky with his strikes.
A lot has happened since Jeremy Pacatiw’s last ONE victory over Tial Thang back at ONE 164.
The Filipino MMA landscape experienced a massive shift when there was a widespread exodus from Team Lakay to the newly formed Lions Nation MMA squad – and Pacatiw was one of the athletes who moved over.
“It was a tough decision to move to Lions Nation MMA. It was a risk. In every instance, we’re free to make our own decisions, but there are always results and consequences with those decisions.
With the move to another camp, Pacatiw said working alongside elite training partners like former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon and current #2-ranked bantamweight MMA contender Stephen “The Sniper” Loman, has helped him everything in his chase of becoming a world title contender.
Pacatiw added while his training partners are known for their striking, their camp has also incorporated ground game to compliment their stand-up game.
“I want to prove that I’m a well-rounded fighter. I want to mix everything up. If an opportunity comes up to knock him out or submit him, I’ll go for it. It’s tough to give a prediction, but all I can say is my hand will be raised after the fight,” Pacatiw claims. NLMonitor
