It’s back to the drawing board once again for Filipino lightweight Richard “Notorious” Corminal.
The 37-year-old promises to come back better and stronger following his first-round submission defeat at the hands of Singapore-based Indian Rahul “The Kerala Krusher” Raju.
Both athletes electrified the crowd at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, as they kicked off ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON last Friday, 17 May in style with their three-round lightweight showdown, which Raju ended via rear-naked choke with just seconds remaining in the opening stanza.
Corminal actually came close to finishing “The Kerala Krusher” as he dropped his Indian foe with a superman punch. But he failed to maximize on it as Raju recovered and submitted him on the ground.
“I’m at a loss because I thought it was over when I knocked him down, but I felt like I rushed it,” Corminal said.
“For me, I was still happy with my performance as I gave it my all in my match against Raju.
“The loss gave me an idea of the things that I need to work on more in the gym. Now, I’ll be working double time on defense on the ground. That’s where my focus should be.”
As heartbreaking as the loss was, he quickly praised Raju, who left the ring with his first victory in The Home Of Martial Arts.
Despite the unfortunate situation, Corminal is adamant that the fans have not seen the last of him. He vows to get that elusive ONE win, no matter how hard or long it takes.
“This is still a huge help for my career. Raju exposed my weaknesses. I had a hard time stopping him as he kept on moving forward,” the Filipino confessed.
“I am still optimistic about my career moving forward. I learned a lot and I will continue to train until I get my first win.
“Now, I’ll just be waiting for ONE’s call. While waiting, expect me to never stop training. I’ll focus more and I have to be patient in my next bouts.”