Adrian Mattheis Plans To Flip The Script In Guangzhou
Adrian “Papua Badboy” Mattheis has been performing consistently of late. In his most recent match-ups, the resident of Jakarta, Indonesia has displayed his striking and improved grappling to outstanding success.
Mattheis adheres to a simple strategy that he and his coach, Zuli “The Shark” Silawanto, refer to as “terun naik” – which translates to “up and down” in English. The idea is to put the 25-year-old in favorable situations to exploit his opponents’ vulnerabilities.
The Indonesian’s first plan of action is to strike with his adversaries in an effort to get the knockout. If it is not available, he aims to take his foe to the ground in search of a TKO or submission. If that fails, he brings them back to the feet, where he repeats the process.
That has led “Papua Badboy” to a three-bout win streak, including his most recent victory – a unanimous decision against Chinese Sanda Champion Lan Qiang Ming at ONE: HEROES OF HONOR in April.
“I stuck to the game plan – up and down,” Mattheis says.
“My striking is quite good. I like to stand and trade, but sometimes, I have to take my opponents down, like Lan. Striking is his specialty.
“Lan was very tough. I hit him a lot, and he did not fall. He was a very tough opponent, but the fight was very important to me, because I showed the world I can last three rounds.”
Now, with even more experience after going the distance for the first time, Mattheis will attempt to extend his winning run to four on Saturday, 7 July.
He is scheduled to meet Robin “The Ilonggo” Catalan in a three-round strawweight affair at ONE: BATTLE FOR THE HEAVENS, which will broadcast live from the Guangzhou Tianhe Gymnasium in China.
While the Indonesian has executed the same, sound strategy in his bouts for the past year, his mentor says he will need to flip the script this time.
“Adrian is a striker. That is where his strength is,” Silawanto says.
“The game plan used to be up and down – stand up and take down. With Catalan, it will be stand up and stay up.”
Mattheis and his coach are familiar with the Catalan family and the style they have developed at Catalan Fighting Systems in Makati, Philippines. The “Papua Badboy” competed against his rival’s older brother, Rene, in January 2017.
This time, he will compete against “The Ilonggo,” who is an IFMA Muay Thai World Champion. Robin also has a wushu background, but in his most recent bouts, he has displayed a knack for grappling, too.
To prepare for the challenge, Mattheis is preparing diligently with Silawanto at the Tigershark Fighting Academy in Jakarta.
He is training four hours every day from Monday to Friday, and eating extra meals in an effort to put some more bulk on his frame, and improve his strength and power.
Between that and the experience he has accumulated since joining ONE Championship in August 2016, the Jakarta native is feeling positive heading into his clash with his 27-year-old opponent.
“I feel a lot more confident,” Mattheis says.
“My body feels stronger, and I have more muscle. I have a lot of technique, and I have had fights with good fighters.”
“Papua Badboy” is approaching his two-year anniversary in the world’s largest martial arts organization. During that time, he has made great strides in his career.
With his confidence now at an all-time high, he will continue to move forward if he defeats Catalan on Saturday.
Now, all he has to do is follow the script – the new script, that is.
