Sunoto Takes Aim At The Top After Ninth ONE Win

ONEchampionship.com

“The Terminator” Sunoto is back, and he has his sights set on the top of the ONE bantamweight division.

The Jakarta native used all of his mixed martial arts experience to deliver a dominant performance to defeat fellow countryman Paul “The Great King” Lumihi at ONE: FOR HONOR in his hometown.

The popular Indonesian star says he is determined to make the victory he earned via unanimous decision after three rounds the foundation of a winning streak that can take him all the way to his division’s summit.

“I intend to use this victory to begin a winning streak because I am actually aiming for a World Title bout,” he explains.

“Indonesia has yet to have a World Champion, so I want to take that opportunity and prove to myself that I still can be a winner on the international stage.

”The opportunity to succeed is always there. I struggled to earn wins as a featherweight, so I stepped down one division, and I have lost only twice in this new weight class – and those defeats only came because of a lack of preparation to compete in a stand-up contest.”

Now galvanized by his overall improvement since moving down to bantamweight, Sunoto plans on elevating his game to new heights to take on the most challenging matches out there.

The veteran from IndoGym and Team Phantom MMA wants to compete with his division’s best, and earn the kind of impressive wins by stoppage that can propel him toward a shot a gold.

With 14 appearances and nine wins in ONE, Sunoto is the most experienced and successful athlete from his country in The Home Of Martial Arts, so he knows better than anyone in Indonesia what it will take to achieve his goal.

“I will go back to train harder and put more efforts to achieve good results in the future,” he adds.

“I am hoping to earn a World Title bout. I wish for everyone to pray and support me. I never pick any opponents. I will be ready whoever the ONE matchmakers decide I should face next.”

Against Lumihi, “The Terminator’s” primary target was to get back on the winning track.

He stuck to his strengths and did not take any unnecessary risks as he focused on overpowering and controlling his rival – and he carried out his strategy almost flawlessly.

A finish was still part of the plan, but “The Great King’s” footwork made him an elusive target for a knockout blow.

“My game plan was to bring him down, do some ground and pound, then go for the finish. I missed it and was a bit unsatisfied,” he admits.

“He was an agile opponent, and waiting for the right chance to strike was difficult. When I tried to counter, he was already moving somewhere. Maybe I should have barged in like a bulldozer, but I would have put myself at risk by doing that.

“I just love grappling, and I did try to finish. However, Paul is a great opponent, he is strong and explosive, and he was always moving around, so I went for ground and pound instead.”

In the end, Sunoto was still pleased that his tenacity and relentless pursuit of the victory was rewarded when his hand was raised.

“I went there with the strategy from my team, and I only strive with the best of my abilities to execute every plan my team comes up with,” he adds.

“At the time, I believed that my efforts weren’t wasted, and I was glad that the judges agreed with me. As I said, Sunoto is back!”

That, he believes, was the most important thing. Now, with time to hone his skills, he hopes his next success will be inside the distance.

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