4 Weapons To Watch When Geje Eustaquio Takes On Adriano Moraes

The first trilogy bout in ONE Championship history takes place on Friday, 25 January, when ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio meets former World Title holder Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes in Manila, Philippines.

In the main event of ONE: HERO’S ASCENT, both athletes will aim to take the lead in their series – currently tied at one victory each – and end a rivalry that goes all the way back to 2014.

Eustaquio and Moraes now know each other extremely well, after they battled for five rounds at ONE: PINNACLE OF POWER last June. On that night in Macau, the Filipino took a split decision win to become the undisputed king of the division, but it was so close, it is anyone’s guess as to who will prevail in the rubber match.

For either warrior to come out on top inside the Mall Of Asia Arena, they may draw on one of these potential keys to victory, and get the edge in their final battle.

Master Of Distance

“Gravity” has a lot of tools at his disposal, but it is his control of the distance that sets the foundation for his success – it helps him offensively and defensively, in striking and in wrestling.

On the attack, Team Lakay’s World Champion has a fast and accurate jab that allows him to gauge distance so he can get in range to land his combinations, or move away from danger if necessary.

Often, opponents will try to swing back when Eustaquio’s lead punch repeatedly snaps in their direction, but his subtle movements take him out of the line of fire. When they do not immediately react, he stays inside and unleashes flurries of strikes.

Much of the wushu stylist’s takedown defense also comes from maintaining the right distance. As opponents try to cover too much ground with their attempt, he can anticipate and defend, which allows him to break off and resume his striking attack.

Protect Your Neck

Any flyweight that stands opposite “Mikinho” must be aware of his penchant for chokes. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt has defeated nine of his opponents to date using these kinds of submissions, including six in ONE.

He is dangerous from anywhere. When an opponent attempts to take him down, his redoubtable guillotine is waiting — a submission Eustaquio is more familiar with than he would like.

When Moraes gets on top, he has an array of paths to take his rival down, all of which inevitably lead to strangulation. The Brazilian likes to strike from half-guard to force a turn, either into a D’Arce choke, a back take, or an arm-triangle.

Once he has ensnared his foe, it is hard to escape. Moraes learned his jiu-jitsu from Brasilia, Brazil’s Constrictor Team, and their submission style is as formidable as it sounds.

Turning Defense Into Attack

The current World Champion’s ability to lure opponents into danger is a huge asset.

“Gravity” will often operate on the cusp of his opponent’s range, using his supreme control of distance, feinting, slipping, and moving to try and elicit a reaction.

He may not react the first time his challenger engages, but when he does it is accurate, and it can be concussive.

Saiful “The Vampire” Merican paid the price when he tried to land a hook, low kick combination on the Filipino. Eustaquio replied with a check hook that landed on the chin for a signature knockout victory.

Moraes felt the force of “Gravity’s” return fire in their previous contest. The Baguio City man used his head movement to evade the Brazilian’s punches before countering, and also landed his right hand from the low kick attempts.

Tenacious Wrestling

Though Moraes is not a powerhouse wrestler in the mold of freestyle Olympians, he has improved his offensive grappling at American Top Team to make sure he always has a great chance of hitting a takedown.

His first attempt may not be successful, but his tenacity is crucial, as he remains glued to his adversaries to work secondary and tertiary attacks until he gets a contest where he wants it.

Eustaquio used his sprawl and defensive underhooks back in June, but fending off the first double-leg did not mean he was out of the woods.

The Florida-based flyweight readjusted and continued his attack. He looked to take the back, hit a single-leg, or grab a body lock to set up a choke or his ground and pound assault.