With better conditioning, Gonzales out to ‘make country proud’ this time

Hitman MMA’s Ramon Gonzales. Photo by Randolph B. Leongson/INQUIRER.net

JAKARTA — Conditioning has always been the bane of Ramon Gonzales’ career.

The 5-foot-5 Bicolano acknowledges where he lacked in his last two battles, both of which ended in defeats, where he could barely make it past the second round.

“I was always out of air in those last two fights,” he shared.

But Gonzales believes that he has already turned the corner, doubling down on his strength and conditioning
with Hitman MMA coaches Gerome Bote and Burn Soriano.

“Almost everyday, we train. Sometimes we do it two times a day. So we really prepared for that,” he said.

Gonzales’ preparation will be put to the test as he is squares off against Liu De Li Ge Ri Hu of Mongolia at ONE: Total Victory at Jakarta Convention Center here.

Though only given three weeks to prepare for the Indonesia card, Gonzales (1-2) thinks that he’s better equipped to contend this time out and beat Liu (2-2) in his first fight in the flyweight division.

“We only had three weeks to prepare for this, but I’m preparing for a fight long before. Though there’s a bit of shock, I think I already got the hang of being a professional fighter,” he said.

Gonzales is also unfazed of the caliber of his opponent, noting that Liu may be a Mongolian wrestling champion but “we’re eating the same thing, so I think I have a chance against him.”

Hoping to make some noise in the flyweight division, Gonzales only has one goal in his mind when he enters the cage on Saturday.

“This time, I will make my country proud,” he said.