The Philippines' Geje "Gravity" Eustaquio (7-4) of the famed Team Lakay stable in Baguio City has seen both highs and lows in his young ONE Championship career thus far.
On Friday, Eustaquio faces 23-year-old prospect Gianni Subba (7-1) of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in an exciting matchup of top contenders at ONE: GLOBAL RIVALS in Manila's Mall of Asia Arena.
Once a young up-and-comer himself, Eustaquio fared impressively in his debut against Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ace Alex Silva, but fell short in his challenge for the ONE Flyweight World Championship against then-champion Adriano Moraes.
"I feel prepared and I feel excited. And of course, the best feeling is when you want to show your full capacity in front of your fellow countrymen," said Eustaquio, about the opportunity to compete in front of his hometown crowd.
With his friends and family cheering from cageside, Eustaquio feels he'll have that extra mental push to help him win the fight.
Subba is one of the most talented and promising young prospects in ONE Championship. At 7 wins and just 1 loss -- to highly-regarded Filipino stalwart Eugene Toquero -- Subba started off his career known for his aggressive striking, but quickly made it known that he was exceptional on the ground as well.
Out of Subba's seven victories, only two have seen the light of a decision. Every other win for Subba has ended abruptly, and at times, emphatically. Even then, Eustaquio feels he has prepared well for Subba's skills, wherever the fight may end up.
"I have wrestled with higher-weight fighters. I grappled with featherweight contenders," said Eustaquio, about what he did to prepare for Subba.
"My strategy going into this fight is that I will stand with Gianni, that's pretty obvious. If he will stand with me, then we'll be fight of the night. I believe Gianni is coming into this fight with his wrestling and jiujitsu, that's why I've prepared a lot for him with my wrestling and jiujitsu."
Filipino fighters, particularly Team Lakay fighters, are known for their world-class Wushu Sanshou background. Their striking skills are perhaps the most well-rounded of all fighters in the country. However, they lack one important aspect of mixed martial arts, and that's their mat skills.
Yet, with good preparation, Eustaquio is confident he'll be able to surprise Subba if and when matters hit the ground.
"If he wants to take me down and if he successfully takes me down to the ground, then it's showtime. It's jiujitsu time," said Eustaquio.
Remaining cool and collected has been one of Eustaquio's identifying qualities. His ability to keep his composure under constant pressure has carried him to victory on numerous occasions. Against Subba, Eustaquio knows he'll have his hands full against a fighter who can do it all.
"I believe Gianni is a complete fighter. He can do stand up, he can do wrestling, he can do jiujitsu, but I still believe I still edge him in the striking arsenal," said Eustaquio. "This is a battle between sharks and lions. I see this fight ending either by KO or I'll submit him on the ground in maybe the second round."