It's not hard to be impressed with Jeremy Miado's gym work.
In his short time so far at Bangkok’s Marrok Force MMA, Miado has earned the respect of his his teammates, especially Williams Aranguiz, director of Marrok Force’s MMA program.
"Jeremy doesn’t give up easily," Aranguiz said.
"He has a very strong fighting heart and he loves his family. I know it has been very difficult for him recently, having been away from his family for over two years to focus on his career and it's really a tough period for him. But he still comes into the gym looking to work hard every single day, and he’s just waiting patiently for his moment to shine."
Aranguiz is in awe of Miado, who came to Marrok Force MMA through siblings Denice and Drex Zamboanga.
From the very beginning when the idea of bringing in Miado was brought to him, the Chilean mentor, who holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, was impressed by the capacity of “The Jaguar.”
This is aside from the reputation Miado has built after knocking out Chinese foe Miao Li Tao with a flying knee.
"They said he was a good fighter so I checked him out and I was surprised by his power, watching his knockouts, and his unpredictable style. So I was impressed to say the least," he said.
"But when he arrived at Marrok Force, we worked a lot on his footwork, timing, and wrestling, especially in the area of takedown defense."
As lethal as Miado is in his strikes, Aranguiz felt that the fighter lacked a solid ground game base.
He is hopeful to change the narrative this time, with Miado intent on adding wrestling and grappling skills to his arsenal.
It shows, as Aranguiz lauded Miado's constant improvement on the mat.
"He has improved a lot already," he said.
"I can say that Jeremy is a very humble fighter and as a martial artist, humility is a great trait to have. He’s a very simple man, a hard worker, and very coachable. I couldn’t be happier to have him as part of our team."
It also helps that the Zamboangas have been very helpful in honing Miado's skillset, with the fighters driven to push each other to exceed their limits.
"Having the Zamboanga siblings here as well, it just became easier for Jeremy to adapt. He’s highly-motivated and training with the Zamboangas, who are great fighters from the same country, there’s just a synergy between them," said Aranguiz.
It's nothing short of saying that the move to join Marrok Force MMA is the greatest decision Miado has ever made in his career.
"At Marrok Force MMA here in Bangkok, we make sure that all our athletes are equipped with everything they need to excel. That way, they can focus on one thing and one thing only, and that’s to train and perform," said Aranguiz.
"This is the first time in his career that Jeremy has been training as a sponsored athlete, without having to think of other responsibilities. We all vibe with each other one hundred percent, more than a team, as a family. We all work great together. We are a pack of wolves."
That's why there's no doubt in Aranguiz's mind that Miado will repeat over Miao in ONE: NextGen on October 29.
"You will witness the same hungry young man, ready to send a message to his entire division that 'The Jaguar' is a force to be reckoned with," he said.
FROM THE ARCHIVES