Two years have passed, but Jeremy "The Jaguar" Miado's devastating first round knockout win over Miao Li Tao at ONE: AGE OF DRAGONS back in November 2019 remains one of the most exciting finishes in ONE Championship history.
After a feeling out process in the bout's first three minutes, the Filipino dared his Chinese foe to close in before the former unleashed a killer jumping right knee that connected squarely on the latter's jaw for the instant knockout.
It was an astonishing triumph for Miado that showed his immense potential and earned him adulation worldwide.
And at ONE: NEXTGEN on 29 October in Singapore, the Filipino fighter is just as driven to show that his win was no fluke and repeat over his Chinese rival.
"People can say whatever they want to say, but my approach is always the same. I'm always motivated to show that I belong here in ONE and I deserve to be one of the best fighters in the strawweight division," he said.
A lot has changed for Miado the last time he fought Miao.
Originally training with Switch MMA/Cage Gladiators, the Albay native has taken his act to Marrok Force MMA in Bangkok, where he currently trains with the likes of siblings Denice and Drex Zamboanga and where he has worked on his ground game to complement his already lethal striking.
"My fighting style is still the same, I still boast that power and strength. But I can say that I have worked on my ground game because that can help me be a more well-rounded fighter," he said.
But as much as he added weapons in his arsenal, “The Jaguar” is also wary of the strides Miao has added to his game.
The Chinese remained active after their fight, trading wins against Ryuto "The Dragon Boy" Sawada, before a close unanimous decision defeat to no. 4-ranked strawweight Alex "Little Rock" Silva at ONE: BATTLEGROUND 2 last August.
"Miao improved a lot in his game, especially in his wrestling. I can see that he's a lot more careful now in his posture and that would really give me a hard time in this rematch with him," observed Miado.
"This won't be an easy fight for me because we already know each other very well and I know that he's motivated to redeem himself from that knockout loss and get back at me."