By Jun Ray Navarres
Filipino MMA slugger Ernesto Montilla Jr. grabs the opportunity of taking his mix martial arts prowess in the international level as he makes his ONE Championship debut on March 17.
The Iron is penciled to take on Japanese bruiser Tatsumitsu “The Sweeper” Wada at ONE Friday Fights 9, which takes place at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
Despite making waves in the local circuit, Montilla will be entering the night as an underdog with Wada flashing his 38-bout experience.
Wada has been a long term fighter in the organization, already sharing the canvass with the likes of Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, Danny “The King” Kingad, Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov and Reece “Lighting” McLaren – the flyweight division’s big dogs.
Meanwhile, Montilla only has a 10-4 record in his sheets with most being at local level. He though, is unfazed at the tall challenge in front of him.
“I don’t care about being the underdog because I came to win,” boldly stated Montilla.
“He and his fans are in for a surprise this Friday.”
Montilla, a well-rounded athlete boasting a brown belt in BJJ for his ground game while having extensive background in boxing and Muay Thai, sees a chink in Wada’s arsenal that he seeks to exploit.
“I see some holes in his striking and I think I can get him there. I prepared for his weakness, which is his striking. But I didn’t sleep on my grappling too,” added Montilla.
And he is serious.
Montilla is a walking highlight reel with six wins by submission and two via knockout under his name.
His chance at taking his talents to the international level may be a little too late at 31 years old but he is sure to make the most out of it.
“Regardless of the round, my aim is to win by knockout or submission,” declared Montilla.
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