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It has been more than a year since Geje Eustaquio featured in the ONE Championship circle and the former titleholder looks set to make a return to the cage in 2022. Looking at the landscape of the flyweight division, 'Gravity' feels that his next opponent will be Gary Mangat.
Both fighters have been linked to battling each other but circumstances prevented them from doing so. Mangat caught COVID-19 when their initial fight was slated in October 2020. Eustaquio then contracted the virus the second time the pair were booked in 2021.
Moving forward, Eustaquio hopes that the third time is a charm.
"I see that they may want me to fight Mangat. The fight has been postponed twice and I hope we will fight on the third attempt ONE Championship to pair us up to settle our long-awaited battle," Eustaquio said to Sportskeeda.
After losing to Yuya Wakamatsu in August 2019, Eustaquio won his next two fights. The first was with Toni Tauru in November 2019 with a spinning back kick to the gut in the third round. The Filipino fighter's only match during the pandemic was with Song Min Jong in October 2020 and that ended at the hands of the judges.
Meanwhile, Gary Mangat has competed four times in ONE Championship. Tasting his first defeat in the organization at the hands of Reece McLaren, 'Saint Lion' bounced back with a unanimous decision win over Roshan Mainam in his most recent fight in May 2021.
Geje Eustaquio admits pandemic stunted athlete's growth in ONE Championship
Geje Eustaquio grew in ONE Championship and was at the top of the flyweight division back in 2018. 'Gravity' has fought 18 times in Asia's premier MMA promotion and is known for his trilogy battle with Adriano Moraes.
The Team Lakay fighter has been doing his best to get back into title contention, but the road has been derailed because of the pandemic. He admits that athletes are still improving in these times but it has been slower due to the lack of competition.
"The pandemic had a big effect on us," said the 32-year-old fighter. "We as athletes need the competition so you can apply your training and see your developments. Without competition, it is harder to adjust and the learning process becomes slower."
