Team Lakay referred to Kim Kyu Sung as a “great warrior” after the South Korean posed a great challenge to former ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio on Friday, 17 May.
The two crossed paths in a three-round encounter at ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium, where the Baguio City native earned a unanimous decision victory.
Eustaquio scored his first win of the year, even after being pushed to the limit by Sung.
The South Korean got tagged from all angles, as “Gravity” showed great movement on the feet to cut down his six-foot opponent to size.
Despite the victory, Eustaquio has nothing but respect for Sung, who he referred to as “unbreakable” after making him sweat late in the third round.
"I have to be honest, he’s a tough guy. The kid is willing to win — that’s why he was unbreakable," the former flyweight king said. “I’m always looking for the finish, but he is really tough.”
The 30-year-old Filipino was surprised with the toughness of Sung, who just kept moving forward even after being tagged since the opening bell sounded.
In fact, the South Korean closed out the contest with a flurry, as he managed to hit Eustaquio with clean shots to make for an interesting conclusion.
But ultimately, the Team Lakay veteran’s early flurries were too much for his rival to overcome.
“I was surprised that, with his height and weight, he was still standing strong and managed to brawl,” Eustaquio revealed.
Like his star pupil, Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao was also fascinated with Sung’s will and perseverance.
“We did not expect that the kid would be that tough. Kim was really tough,” he observed. “He kept on moving forward, he kept on pressuring. Even when we were tagging him, he just wouldn't back down.”
After securing a bounce-back win, Eustaquio admits his experience with the Team Evolve stalwart will play a vital role as he continues to hone his craft.
He saw some of his shots go to waste against Sung, and he knows that he cannot afford to do that in his next outing.
“Once I get back to the gym, I’ll train more of my spinning back kicks and spinning elbows. To be honest, for me, they were awkward last Friday,” Eustaquio confessed.
“I’ll get back to the drawing board and become a better athlete. It’s my ultimate goal right now. I’m not looking forward to a title or a championship, it’s all about making myself a better athlete and soon, everything will follow.”