‘Upwards And Onwards’ – Reece McLaren Vows To Bounce Back After ONE Fight Night 10 Heartbreak

Reece McLaren didn’t get the result he wanted at ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III on Prime Video, but he knows that defeat isn’t final.

Four years after his unanimous decision loss to Kairat Akhmetov in March 2019, it was deja vu for the Australian star, who was outwrestled by the former ONE Flyweight World Champion at Colorado’s 1stBank Center this past Friday, May 5. 

Although he left the United States disappointed, the man known as “Lightning” promises to move forward and bounce back in his next outing.

Posting on Instagram, McLaren wrote in a caption:

“Well. That sucked. Upwards and onwards, I guess. Thank you everyone for the overwhelming support and messages. 

“Will rub some dirt on it and get on with it.”

However, the experience wasn’t all bad for the #4-ranked flyweight contender, who traveled to ONE Championship’s historic first show in the U.S. with his head coach, John Wayne Parr.

It wasn’t the first time the striking legend had been in McLaren’s corner, but given the journey halfway across the world and the time needed to acclimate to Denver’s high altitude, “The Gunslinger” committed to two weeks away from his family to support his protege – and that didn’t go unnoticed.

McLaren added in another post:

“As the dust is settling, we tussled with a gorilla and came up short in three [rounds]. Possibly 5 [rounds] and it may be a different story.

“A special and huge thank you to this man @johnwayneparr, [who] spent two weeks away from family [and] missed birthdays. The selfless generosity [is] unmatched. I am forever thankful, mate.”

Reece McLaren Calls Out A Pair Of Filipino Stars

Reece McLaren is no stranger to adversity. As a matter of fact, the Aussie has bounced back from defeat in impressive fashion before, and he plans to do it again.

Instead of feeling sorry for himself, “Lightning” is already looking toward his next challenge.

McLaren has his eyes on a pair of Filipino flyweight stars. He is aiming to avenge his 2019 split-decision loss to Danny Kingad or possibly clash with former ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje Eustaquio.

The Australian wrote on Instagram:

“Result didn’t go our way, but already I sit here plotting. I’m looking up at the mountains again, Team Lakay. @lakay.gravity or @dannykingad, [it] would bring me [the] upmost honour if we could grace the cage with either of you next.”