‘I Really Need To Win This Fight’ – Willie Van Rooyen Plots Massive Comeback At ONE Fight Night 41
Willie “White Lion” van Rooyen knows exactly what is at stake when he steps back inside the fabled walls of Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The 23-year-old South African will face Filipino veteran Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado in a flyweight MMA showdown at ONE Fight Night 41 on Prime Video on Friday, March 13, airing live in U.S. primetime.
For Van Rooyen, the matchup represents a crucial moment early in his journey inside the world’s largest martial arts organization.
After entering ONE Championship with an undefeated professional record and a run as a regional titleholder, his promotional debut against future World Title challenger Avazbek “Ninzya” Kholmirzaev at ONE Fight Night 37 ended in a submission loss — the first defeat of his career.
Reflecting on his first setback, the rising contender returns with something to prove:
“So I didn’t think there was something wrong with the fight. I just think it was a good icebreaker for me because it was my debut in ONE.
“So I think it was just a bit something new to me, but now that I fought my first fight, I know what it feels like. It was my first time fighting in a different country. So yeah, I think all of those factors maybe impacted my result in the first fight, but also now I know what to expect and I know what skill level the fighters are on.”
In his first seven professional appearances, “White Lion” had never tasted defeat, scoring five finishes along the way to becoming a two-time EFC Flyweight Champion.
While the defeat cost him his spotless record, Van Rooyen believes the experience ultimately strengthened his preparation and sharpened his mindset heading into his sophomore appearance in ONE.
With a dangerous opponent standing across from him, the Pretoria native sees the fight as the perfect opportunity to reintroduce himself to the division.
He said:
“So my main focus on this fight is just to have a good comeback, because I didn’t have the best start in my debut in ONE. So I want to make a comeback and make a statement and let the fighters know: listen, I’m not here to play around, I’m here to stay and to stand on business.”
In order to do that, he knows exactly what is at stake. He wants the global ONE fanbase to witness a better version of himself.
More than simply earning a victory, the South African contender understands the urgency of delivering a strong performance.
He said:
“[I want to show] a more aggressive, better fight than the previous one. Winning is very, very important to me. I have to make this comeback if I want to make a good statement or a good reputation for myself in ONE.
“I really need to win this fight so that I can start to climb the ranks and be a ranked fighter. So I really need to win this fight.”
Willie van Rooyen Expects A Quick Finish Of Jeremy Miado
Standing across from Willie van Rooyen at ONE Fight Night 41 will be one of the flyweight division’s most aggressive and experienced competitors.
Jeremy Miado has built his reputation inside ONE as a relentless striker who thrives in high-pressure exchanges. The Filipino veteran often pushes forward, forcing opponents into fast-paced firefights where his knockout power becomes a major factor.
Van Rooyen expects the stylistic clash to produce an explosive fight.
He said:
“So myself, [I’m] also more of a stand-up fighter. I have a kickboxing background. So his style is very aggressive. He likes to keep on pushing forward the whole time. I’m working on ways to counter that style. I think it’s going to be a very, very good fight.
With his extensive background in kickboxing and a continuously evolving skill set, the South African striker believes the matchup presents opportunities to capitalize on certain habits he has noticed while studying Miado’s previous performances.
While he expects the fight to produce plenty of striking exchanges, he also sees an opportunity to exploit an area where his opponent has previously struggled. Since his first promotional appearance, Van Rooyen has sharpened his ground game and expects to showcase that evolution on March 13.
He explained:
“I want to test my ground, my wrestling, to see how much it improved. We’re definitely going to go to the ground, and I’m going to test his wrestling as well, because on his previous fights, I think most of his losses were when the guys were wrestling him.”
After studying his opponent thoroughly and carrying the added motivation to return to his winning ways while reestablishing himself in the ultra-stacked flyweight MMA division, the Pretoria native expects this next fight to end early.
Like many of his past bouts where he rarely needed the judges, Van Rooyen believes another stoppage could be on the horizon inside Lumpinee Stadium.
He predicted:
“I don’t think the fight is going to go past the second round. I think somewhere in the second round there’s going to be a stoppage.”
