Abro Fernandes to compete like 'Komodo dragon' in KL

ABRO 'The Black Komodo' Fernandes is ready to dump aside the memory of his last outing and create a new career highlight in Malaysia on Friday, 12 July.

The Indonesian is confident he has enough tools in his armory to leave the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur with a marquee victory when he meets India’s Gurdarshan 'Saint Lion' Mangat at ONE: MASTERS OF DESTINY in a three-round flyweight contest.

“My advantage is simply about calmness and composure. I am enjoying my fights – I am not rushing anything when I step into the cage,” the IndoGym representative shared.

“That is crucial in a bout so we can adjust our rhythm, increase the tempo, and read [our opponent] better.

“If we go all-out in the first round like I did the last time, the result would be a loss. I lost my stamina in the middle of the bout. If we have great stamina, it would be okay to go all-out, but if we don’t, it would be hard [to maintain pressure].”

Fernandes put in a thrilling performance against Chan Rothana at ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS in December.

He started the strongest of the pair and countered everything his Cambodian opponent threw at him. But with less than a minute to go in the second round, Rothana unleashed a huge right knee, which put him to sleep.

The 29-year-old’s resilience was clear in that match, but this time around, the multiple-time Indonesia Bantamweight Champion promises to put his 'Black Komodo' style on display.

“If you have followed me from my days competing at local competitions, you would know my style,” he offered.

“I would like to bring that particular style with me – the 'Black Komodo' style – to ONE Championship. I will fight like a Komodo dragon – very fast and agile on the ground.”

Whether this style would cause damage to Mangat, however, remains to be seen. His 32-year-old rival is equally good on the ground and trains with high-level grapplers at 10th Planet Las Vegas.

Whatever the outcome, the euphoric crowd in the Axiata Arena will be in for an exciting contest as both flyweight talents own a knack for the finish.

“My training has prepared me to face anyone,” Fernandes said.

“Everyone has their advantages and weaknesses. We learn from each other, so it depends on what kind of strategy and skills that we have developed for a bout.”