‘I Enjoy The Feeling Of A Firefight’ – Hu Yong Aims To Continue Hot Streak With Knockout Of Reece McLaren
Surging flyweight MMA contender “Wolf Warrior” Hu Yong plans to go knockout hunting once again at ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova on Prime Video.
On May 3 in U.S. primetime, the #5-ranked Chinese phenom will battle #4-ranked Reece “Lightning” McLaren at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
This crucial matchup will give Hu a chance to extend his impressive three-fight winning streak and overtake a fellow contender in the jam-packed divisional ranks.
It will also be another opportunity to showcase his explosive style of combat. In his most recent outing at ONE Fight Night 15, he scored a 63-second TKO of the always dangerous Eko Roni Saputra – his third first-round finish in ONE Championship.
The 28-year-old recently spoke to onefc.com about his penchant for finding the quick finish:
“I don’t want to have a boring fight, so I like to fight early and directly. I like to fight like a warrior. I enjoy the feeling of a firefight. It gets me excited, and that’s why I do so well at the beginning of fights.”
Indeed, with his incredible hand speed, dynamic footwork, and firey combinations, “Wolf Warrior” has proven to be one of the division’s most electrifying strikers.
He intends to lean on that prowess against a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt in McLaren:
“I don’t prepare specific weapons. What I need to do is keep striking and find a chance to knock him out.”
If everything goes according to plan, Hu expects a short night of work.
He says that an ideal performance against McLaren means another first-round, highlight-reel knockout that fans won’t soon forget:
“I think it will not be a full three-round fight. For me, the perfect fight is to KO my opponent and ignite the passion of all the people watching.”
Hu Breaks Down McLaren’s Skill Set
Despite having supreme confidence in his striking, Hu Yong knows that Reece McLaren will be no pushover.
A veteran of 15 fights in ONE, the Australian fan favorite is a dangerous ground specialist, boasting six submission wins in the organization.
“Wolf Warrior” expects that McLaren will try to bring their fight to the canvas – something he’s ready to defend against:
“He’s a strong grappler. I’ve prepared for a lot of avoiding getting it to the ground.
“I’m sure it won’t be that easy for him to take me down, and even if he does, he’ll have a hard time controlling me on the ground, and I’ll definitely want to stay in a stand-up fight.”
While he’s known as a submission hunter, McLaren has recently been working with legendary Muay Thai star John Wayne Parr and has shown marked improvement in his striking over his past few appearances.
Hu, though, isn’t particularly impressed or worried about McLaren’s stand-up game:
“He definitely has improved in striking, but this improvement is not enough to make him become a top striker.”
Ultimately, the Chinese athlete is dismissive of his opponent’s overall striking and athleticism. And with that in mind, he sees a clear edge in this matchup.
Hu added:
“He has poor knockout ability in striking, and he’s weak in physical strength and fitness. My advantages are heavy punches and great physical strength and fitness.”
