ONE: Jimmy Yabo shrugs off losing skid, eyes redemption

Jimmy Yabo. Photo by Randolph B. Leongson/ INQUIRER.net

BANGKOK — It’s been almost two years since Jimmy Yabo tasted a victory.

After knocking out Bashir Ahmad back in February 2016, the Cebuano fighter’s wins have been few and far in between.

But despite his losing record—dropping five of his last six fights in the promotion—the skid is the least of his concerns heading into Saturday’s fight at ONE: Warriors of the World.

“When I fight, I no longer think about my previous fights. I focus on what I have right now. Though I look at my past fights and see my mistakes, I know for myself what I need to do to correct those things,” he said in Filipino.

Yabo (5-5) will have turn things around  on Saturday as he takes on hometown bet Sagetdao Petpayathai (2-0) at Impact Arena here.

The 36-year-old remains confident that he can bounce back and get his arms raised.

“Our preparation has been well. We cross-trained with jiu jitsu in Cebu and we did all we can for this fight,” said Yabo, who took an extra mile preparing for his ground game, a facet he sees as an edge for him coming to the match.

“I pushed myself to improve on my ground game. In all of my previous matches, I’m always at a disadvantage when it comes to the ground, so that’s where I really focused.”

Yabo knows that he’s the underdog going into the duel, but he’s welcoming the challenge of silencing the home crowd.

“We know the opponent’s capacity, he’s a Muay Thai world champion. But he eats the same rice and there’s nothing impossible in any fight,” he said. “I know I prepared myself hard for this and once that bell rings, all I’ll do is fight.”