By CARLO ANOLIN
Team Lakay’s Geje Eustaquio emerged as the lone Filipino winner in ONE: Inside the Matrix III as stablemates Kevin Belingon and Lito Adiwang fell to their respective opponents at the Singapore Indoor Stadium Friday night.
Eustaquio scored a unanimous decision over South Korean foe Song Min Jong in their catch weight bout (64 kg) in the co-main event before No. 5 Brazilian bantamweight John Lineker capped off the main event with a stunning technical knockout victory over the division’s No. 1 Belingon in the second round.
In the strawweight bout, Japanese debutant Hiroba Minowa snapped Lito Adiwang’s seven-match win streak after displaying ground game mastery for the split decision win.
Eustaquio showed who’s boss in the striking department against the freestyle Korean fighter, dominating all three rounds with powerful counter punches and right hooks.
After gaining momentum in the opening round, the Team Lakay flyweight contender continued his agressive style in the second frame while easily reading Song’s next moves for the quick counterattacks.
Song started the third and final round with a standing arm triangle, but Eustaquio turned the tables swiftly after sustaining a dominant top position. After several scrambles, the two got back at their feet and resorted to a classic fist fight.
After a solid right punch to Song, Eustaquio looked for a submission mid-third round but the Korean ended up on top position instead and tried to squeeze in a lock of his own. The 31-year-old Igorot warrior wanted a late submission win but the final bell just came in time for the final scoring.
“It feels awesome for the rest of the years. I really missed competition,” said Eustaquio, winning back-to-back fights since November last year and breaking the four-match win streak of Song (11-8) to improve at 14-8 record. “God is good all the time. Now I’m here back to competition. Ring rust is gone.”
Meanwhile, Lineker stopped Belingon in the main event after a vicious right uppercut followed by left punches while the Filipino fighter, down at the canvas, defends himself at the corner.
This prompted referee Justin Brown to halt the match at official time of 1:16 of the second round as Lineker gained two straight victories to climb at 33-9 record while Belingon (20-8) suffered three consecutive losses since 2019.
Brazil’s “Hands of Stone” was too much for Belingon, who sustained two cuts near the left eye, after Lineker’s first round punishment.
Adiwang tried to finish Minowa with kimura locks in the first and second frames but the 21-year-old former Shooto champion, who improved to a 12-2 record, escaped both submission scares with quick repositionings.
The loss, for the first time in four years, might cost Adiwang’s No. 5 contention in the division after sliding to an 11-3 record.
