On April 5, Jeremy Pacatiw steps back onto the global stage for the first time in over a year. The Filipino star will take on Wang Shuo when ONE Championship returns to U.S. primetime for ONE Fight Night 21 on Prime Video.
Leading into the match, Pacatiw is preparing for all eventualities but admits some unknowns about his Chinese foe will only be answered when the bell rings. Wang will be moving up a weight class for this contest. Pacatiw plans to test him in his first move up and welcome him to the division.
“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. 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 said to ONE.
A focal point for “The Juggernaut” will be his adaptability. Pacatiw feels strong on the feet or the mat and wants to flow freely in his bantamweight matchup on Friday. The well-rounded skill set makes him a danger in every aspect of the match, and Pacatiw hopes that will lead to a finish.
“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. 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,” the Filipino remarked.
Like other former members of Team Lakay, Pacatiw made the move to Lions Nation MMA. Alongside Eduard Folayang, Joshua Pacio, and others, Pacatiw is helping set the standard for Filipino MMA. “The Juggernaut” believes the camp is firing on all cylinders and hopes to keep building momentum for the gym with a win.
“The preparation has been great. I’m excited. I’m working hard every day, making sure that I return to the ring at the top of my game. 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,” Pacatiw stated.
Pacatiw says there is a complete team effort in every aspect of preparation. It is not just built on sparring in the gym but also in breaking down each other’s opponents in the film room. Ahead of ONE Fight Night 21, Pacatiw is confident that his work at Lions Nation MMA will put him right in the thick of things at bantamweight.
“But the head of it all is still Eduard. I feel really at ease with Eduard as a coach. He listens to us, to our suggestions. He sees where we’re coming from. He takes care of what we need. He focuses on what needs to be done. It’s a big help having [Belingon and Loman] around. Having these two brilliant fighters in the same weight class is a blessing. They push me hard to be a better, more complete fighter,” Pacatiw said.
ONE Fight Night 21 airs live on Prime Video on Friday, April 5. The action begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The event is free for all Amazon Prime members based in the U.S. and Canada.
