Pacatiw looks forward to match versus Andrade

JEREMY “The Juggernaut” Pacatiw didn’t waste time showcasing his worth in ONE Championship, and he intends to maintain his momentum at “ONE: FULL CIRCLE.” The Filipino bantamweight returns to the Circle on Feb. 25 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium as he looks to remain unbeaten in ONE when he faces Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade.

Ecstatic as he may be for this bout, Mr. Pacatiw understands the threats that the Brazilian fighter presents against him.

“I’d say that my upcoming fight with Fabricio Andrade will be the most ambitious pursuit I have in my career as I get a chance to face a ranked fighter,” Mr. Pacatiw said.

Mr. Andrade, indeed, has proven himself in the bantamweight division as he sits at No. 4 in the official rankings thanks to his five-fight win streak.

“Wonder Boy” has been clinical in his approach and, showing his lethal fists in his most recent outing, where he scored a first round technical knockout win over “The Underdog” Li Kai Wen at “ONE: WINTER WARRIORS II” last December.

But Mr. Pacatiw has also proven that he can hold a candle against the best in the division and deserves to be treated with more respect.

The Team Lakay stalwart turned in a dominant performance in his unanimous decision victory over Chen “The Ghost” Rui at “ONE: BATTLEGROUND” back in July — a proper introduction for “The Juggernaut” in ONE Championship.

Team Lakay head coach and founder Mark Sangiao understands that his ward is coming in as a massive underdog against Mr. Andrade, but he knows that fights are won on the canvas and not on paper.

“Fabricio Andrade is carrying five wins in a row to his name and we’re not glossing this over. But we’re also not selling Jeremy Pacatiw short. Our Team Lakay athlete will take great strides to the cage with only one goal, to put his name into that top-flight rankings,” Mr. Sangiao said.

Mr. Pacatiw also knows that, and looks at this bout as a chance for him to indeed show that he’s arrived in the bantamweight scene and that he’s ready to become the latest contender from Baguio to stake his case for a title shot — in the same breath of his peers.

“Getting that win will definitely draw me closer to the top. Indeed, this is another opportunity for me to unleash my skills and I can’t wait!” Mr. Pacatiw said.

ONE: FULL CIRCLE will see three world titles being contested, headlined by two-division ONE World Champion Reinier “The Dutch Knight” de Ridder defending his middleweight crown against the current ONE welterweight world champion Kiamrian “Brazen” Abbasov.