■ Harley F. Palangchao
Lions Nation MMA fighter Jeremy Pacatiw has announced his return to ONE Championship with a resounding victory against his Chinese opponent in ONE Fight Night 21 in Bangkok, Thailand on April 6.
The 27-year-old Pacatiw proved no signs of ring rust from a 16-month hiatus when he submitted Wang Shuo of China via rear-naked choke in the first round.
From the opening round, the Kapangan, Benguet fighting pride displayed he is in control of the game and ready to make a statement.
Pacatiw and Wang tested their striking skills with rapid exchanges on the feet but the former showed dominance when the action transitioned to the mat with his improved grappling skills.
The Igorot fighter wasted no time in asserting his dominance once it hit the ground.
He secured a firm hold on Wang’s back and wrapping his legs around him in a body triangle to establish complete control.
Despite Wang’s efforts to break free, the choke was too deep, forcing him to tap out at the 2:07 mark of the first round.
In his post-fight social media post, Pacatiw thanked his coaching staff led by Lions Nation MMA founder Eduard Folayang and teammate Stephen Loman who cornered for him.
He also thanked Prof. Gibran Langbayan, the Brazilian jiu jitsu coach of Lions Nation MMA.
Pacatiw improved his record to 13 wins against five losses while Wang fell to 16-8.
It was in December 2022 when Pacatiw fought and defeated Tial Thang via triangle choke.
