ONE: Jeremy Miado draws strength from losing compatriots in KO win

Jeremy Miado was the lone Filipino winner at ONE: Age of Dragons. ONE CHAMPIONSHIP PHOTO

BEIJING—Jeremy Miado, the third and last Filipino to step inside the ring in ONE: Age of Dragons Saturday night, watched two of his compatriots fall to China’s hometown bets by unanimous decision.

Miado knew it was solely up to him to prevent a winless campaign by Filipinos in the China card.

But rather than seeing it as added pressure, he used it as extra motivation.

“I’m happy and sad at the same time because two other Filipinos lost, but I used that as my inspiration to really try and win,” Miado told the Philippine media in Filipino Friday night.

The 26-year-old Miado did not disappoint, knocking out China’s Miao Li Tao in scintillating fashion in the first round.

Miado unleashed a well-timed flying knee that landed right in Miao’s chin that stunned the crowd at Cadillac Arena here.

“That flying knee was really part of my game plan. I did that move over and over again during my training. I studied Miao well and I knew I would catch him with a flying knee,”Miado said.

“He’s an overly aggressive fighter so I was just looking for the right time to catch him.”

Ramon Gonzales and Edward Kelly, however, weren’t as fortunate.

Gonzales yielded to Hexigetu in the opening bout while Kelly of Team Lakay bowed to a much-younger foe in Tang Kai.