Jeremy Pacatiw returns to action against Elbek Alyshov at ONE Fight Night 34: Eersel vs. Jarvis on August 2.
Jeremy "The Juggernaut" Pacatiw knows that his recent activity might give him an edge over Elbek Alyshov, but the no. 5-ranked bantamweight contender isn't making the mistake of overlooking his unbeaten opponent.
The Lions Nation MMA representative returns to action against the debuting Russian at ONE Fight Night 34: Eersel vs. Jarvis on August 2 inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, five months after his decision loss to Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu.
While Alyshov brings an impressive 8-0 record to his ONE Championship debut, his extended time away from competition could prove costly against an active veteran like Pacatiw.
"He's 8-0. He's undefeated. It might have been a while since his last fight, so I think my activity's gonna be an advantage, but we can't be too sure. Maybe in that layoff, he was training with Khabib [Nurmagomedov], so I'm not taking that layoff lightly," Pacatiw said.
The 29-year-old's cautious optimism is exactly what every fighter needs, as he’s loose enough to freely do what he wants to do in the ring, but minus the complacency.
He has also been methodical in his preparation, studying Alyshov's tendencies and identifying potential threats – particularly the Russian's grappling prowess and preference for chokes.
"Scouting my opponent, he really loves to choke people out. Mostly he's getting those guillotine chokes in and taking his opponents' neck with him, so I'm gonna watch out for that," he said.
The Filipino veteran knows that his opponent's finishing ways isn’t a coincidence, requiring comprehensive preparation for multiple scenarios.
"I expect him to show different things because we really can't predict what else he'll be bringing to the table,” he said.
“So yeah, while he's shown great ability to finish with a choke, I just can't simply focus on those because a fighter as skilled as he is, I know he can find other submissions," Pacatiw added.
While Pacatiw respects his opponent's abilities, he's drawing on years of high-level competition to navigate this tricky matchup ahead of him.
"It's all about being ready on the ground. Defense and offense," he said.
"It's hard to predict but all I can say is I'll be ready wherever this fight goes, and I'll have my hands raised after this bout."