Rockie Bactol may have fallen short in his first ONE Championship appearance, but he is far from discouraged.
The Filipino lost to Akihiro “Superjap” Fujisawa via third-round TKO at ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS last November, which derailed all the hype surrounding his debut.
Understanding that there is still a lot to be learned, he is taking the loss in stride.
“I learned a lot of things when I lost to Akihiro. These things gave me added motivation to become a better mixed martial artist and to succeed in this sport,” Bactol said.
“I’ve been training very hard to improve every aspect of my game, especially my cardio. I’m a very positive person, and I know that I can come back to my winning ways.”
Bactol, an MFC Bantamweight Champion, has never doubted his abilities — even after seemingly fading away late against Fujisawa.
After a huge start to the match, conditioning played a big factor. The 20-year-old’s inexperience showed as he gassed out, which his Japanese rival gladly took advantage of.
Though it was a tough defeat, Bactol is not sweating it.
“Not everyone is destined to be successful, but you always have the option to become [successful] if you want to. It’s all about your determination,” he explained.
“I have a great career ahead of me. The loss will make me a better competitor moving forward.”
For him to have a successful comeback, Bactol must now work on his mentality — particularly when the battle intensifies inside the Circle.
With a ‘strong mind,’ he is confident he will impress in his next outing.
“I learned that I must have a strong mind in the cage no matter what happens,” he said.
“If I know that I’m losing and I feel exhausted, I must have that strong mind to keep on going like it’s my last fight.”
