Eustaquio Wants Flyweight Belt, But Would Step Aside For Kingad
Former ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio is eager to reclaim his crown, but he won’t do it at the expense of his teammate.
Since losing the belt to current titleholder Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes in their trilogy bout during January 2019, Eustaquio has been motivated to earn another World Title shot.
The veteran is certainly on the right track, as he’s riding a two-fight winning streak and could be one victory away from breaking into the top-five rankings.
However, his Team Lakay stablemate Danny “The King” Kingad is the division’s #2-ranked contender and could be next in line for a crack at the gold. And should the young Filipino become the flyweight king, “Gravity” would forgo any opportunity to challenge him.
“The game plan for me is simple,” the 32-year-old Eustaquio says.
“Danny is there in the top five. I’ve already become a World Champion. I experienced the joy and the privilege of becoming a World Champion. Now, here comes my ading (younger brother), Danny. He’s almost there. He’s close to becoming a World Champion. I’m happy for him.”
In many ways, “Gravity” would be repaying his young teammate for a previous act of loyalty.
Over the past five years, Kingad and Eustaquio have competed together in ONE Championship’s stacked flyweight mixed martial arts division, but both have vowed to never fight each other.
That vow was put to the test when Eustaquio beat Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov in their rematch to capture the ONE Interim Flyweight World Title in January 2018.
Kingad had already begun his meteoric rise up the divisional ladder, but despite that success, he wouldn’t entertain the prospect of challenging his veteran teammate for the gold.
If anything, he was content to gain more experience and let “Gravity” shine in the spotlight.
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But now, the tables have started to turn, and it’s the former flyweight king who is cheering for his 25-year-old protege.
Eustaquio is willing to step aside if Kingad gets a second chance to challenge Moraes – one of only two men who’ve defeated him. But if the young Filipino drops the ball, “Gravity” promises to pick it up and run with it.
“The game plan that we had with coach Mark [Sangiao] is to give Danny the opportunity to become a World Champion,” Eustaquio adds.
“However, on my end, coach told me to keep doing my part and keep winning because if Danny will not do his work and maintain the right attitude toward becoming a World Champion, then I will gladly take his slot and become a World Champion once more.”
Regardless of what happens at the top, there is one thing for certain: Fans should never expect to see Eustaquio and Kingad mix it up inside the Circle.
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