Extra preparation time has #5-ranked bantamweight MMA contender Jeremy “The Juggernaut” Pacatiw brimming with confidence as he prepares to face undefeated Russian Elbek Alyshov.
Pacatiw welcomes the opportunity to bounce back from his setback against Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu when he steps into the ring at ONE Fight Night 34: Eersel vs. Jarvis on August 2 inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
What has Pacatiw particularly excited is the extended camp he’s been afforded for this crucial matchup against the 8-0 debutant.
“I’m so grateful for this quick turnaround. It helps that they offered me this fight really early so I have a longer preparation for this bout. With that said, given my preparation for this bout I’m super excited to show what I prepared for,” Pacatiw said.
The Lions Nation MMA representative has been maximizing every moment of his training camp, working with elite sparring partners at the team’s La Trinidad, Benguet, facility.
His preparation has been tailored to address the submission threats that Alyshov brings to the fight, particularly the chokes that the Russian seems to favor.
“Scouting my opponent, he really loves to choke people out. Mostly he’s getting those guillotine chokes in and taking his opponents’ neck with him, so I’m gonna watch out for that,” he said.
But he’s not looking past Alyshov’s different skill set as well.
“Still, I expect him to show different things because we really can’t predict what else he’ll be bringing to the table,” Pacatiw said. “So yeah, while he’s shown great ability to finish with a choke, I just can’t simply focus on those because a fighter as skilled as he is, I know he can find other submissions.”
