Sunoto eyes rematch with Filipino rival Edward Kelly after Jakarta fight

By Nerissa Singgangan

Indonesian standout Sunoto might have a scheduled bout on 14 January in his hometown of Jakarta, Indonesia, but he has an opponent in mind for his next fight.

The 31-year-old Indonesian fighter has set his sights on a rematch with Filipino fighter Edward Kelly inside the ONE Championship cage later this year.

Both men crossed paths last December on the undercard of ONE: AGE OF DOMINATION, where Kelly overcame a spirited performance from Sunoto to nab the victory in round three by referee stoppage.

Sunoto believes that he has a score to settle with Kelly, who is currently riding high on a three-match winning streak in ONE Championship.

Tides changed in the last round when Kelly had a stand-up exchange and landed a thunderous body kick that sent Sunoto crumbling to the mat, giving him an opening to secure a full mount and finish it with ground-and-pound.

“I was close to finishing Edward Kelly. I believe that I was winning on the judges’ scorecards as well. It was an unfortunate ending for me,” Sunoto said about the fight against Kelly.

Sunoto sees a different outcome if he will be given a chance to lock horns with Kelly once more.

“I have all the respect in the world for Edward. He’s a good man and a good fighter, but I believe that I have a big shot at winning if there will be a rematch in the future,” he claimed.

With a potential second encounter with Kelly on the horizon, Sunoto has to care of the task that it is currently in front of him.

Sunoto is booked to face hard-hitting Cambodian kickboxer Chan Heng at ONE: QUEST FOR POWER, which takes place at the Jakarta Convention Center in Jakarta, Indonesia on 14 January.

According to Sunoto, he is putting his entire focus on his marquee match-up with Heng as “The Terminator” believes that he is in a must-win situation.

“Basically, I went back to the gym after the Edward Kelly fight. I didn’t take any time off. For this fight, I am leaving everything, including my coaching job to focus on preparing myself for the fight. I really want to win this fight,” Sunoto ended.