Kaunti na lang at maaabot na sana ni for Richard “Notorious” Corminal ang unang tagumpay sa ONE Championship pero nabigo siya nang mapasuko siya sa unang round ni Singapore-based Indian Rahul “The Kerala Krusher” Raju sa ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON nitong Biyernes, Mayo 17.
Ang 37 anyos na Filipino lightweight ay nagkaroon ng pagkakataon nangpineke niya ang isa niyang galaw at sabay ginawa itong superman punch.
Napatumba niya si Raju pero agad din naman ito nakatayo at agad siyang tinira sa likod at napilitan si Corminal na sumuko dahil sa rear-naked choke.
Dismayado si Corminal sa pagkatalo pero may planong ipagpatuloy lang ang paglaban at galingan sa susunod.
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“I’m at a loss because I thought it was over when I knocked him down, but I felt like I rushed it,” paliwanag niya.
“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.”
Nagpasalamat din si Corminal kay Raju sa pagpapalabas ng kahinaan niya.
“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,” sabi ni Corminal.
“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,” he said. “While waiting, expect me to never stop training. I’ll focus more and I have to be patient in my next bouts.”
