Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Geje Eustaquio admitted he made mistakes during his failed title defense against Brazilian rival Adriano Moraes last Friday in the headliner of ONE: Hero’s Ascent in Manila.
Those lapses ended up costing Eustaquio the flyweight world championship after suffering a unanimous decision loss to Moraes in their third encounter.
“Moraes’ bread and butter is his jiu-jitsu. I have to admit there were times when I got careless because I wasn’t able to defend a few takedowns,” said Eustaquio.
The 29-year-old Eustaquio, however, believes he deserves the judges’ nod.
“But if you saw the fight, I was the one to score even when he’s in the mount position. I throw punches, elbow strikes, my elbow was even in pain from hitting him in the head,” he explained.
“His striking is ok, but I think it’s fair to say that my striking is better. That’s the way I look at it. The only thing he did was a near submission.”
Eustaquio was pertaining to Moraes’ knee bar for a long stretch in the fourth round where other fighters would’ve tapped out.
The Baguio City native, though, has learned to accept the result and cleared he respects the judges’ decision.
“Regarding the decision, they’re pointing out that I got stuck far too long in a leg lock. In my opinion, of course, I have to study the fight again and learn,” Eustaquio said.
“But it is what it is. What hurts more is that there were two Filipino judges. But I have to stay positive, and I respect the judges’ decision at the end of the day.”
Eustaquio vows to come back stronger than ever and recapture the belt.
“I’ve been through this before. It’s time to get back to the drawing board,” said Eustaquio.
“It hurts to smile, but we are people of the mountains and there is no mountain we cannot conquer.”