Jake Peacock: "I'm going to smash this guy, then after the fight I'm going to grab the mic and ask for a top 10 guy."

By FightPost: MMA & Boxing News on 18th Aug 2024

By Cameron Black

Jake Peacock burst onto the ONE Championship scene with a dominant victory against Kohei Shinjo in what was an emphatic debut performance. The Muay Thai specialist was initially disappointed with his performance, but once he watched it back, it was a completely different story.

"I think that I never go the distance. It has to be a finish. Otherwise, it's not a win. Then I realised if I dominate the guy then I've still won, when I'm in the fight I don't hunt for the finish because then the horse shutters go on and it generally doesn't happen. I stayed nice and calm, I was just enjoying it so much, and I completely forgot. I'm in the back like I need them 50g's, as soon as I went out there though it wasn't on my mind. props to the guy as well, I hit him with some stuff that would have knocked some guys out. I was a little disappointed after the fight, I thought I wasn't getting a bonus. then I watched the fight back it was class, I dominated, and it was a great performance for me. I like to finish people, but I've waited so long for my debut that it felt nice being in control, being a little flashy, and ultimately, I had a great time."

Peacock also complimented the Thailand fans and the atmosphere they brought for his first fight with ONE.

"I was coming off an electric hometown fight, but this was different, the vibes and the atmosphere, I couldn't go anywhere in Bangkok without being recognised. everywhere all over the place, people were asking for pictures. I thrive off people, I've got time for people like people have done for me, and I like to give my time to others."

The limb-different striker was born without his right arm being able to grow, which meant amputation and a challenging life from the very beginning. Peacock insisted that it is merely just a boundary to push past and to continually succeed in Muay Thai.

"When I was young, there was a bit of bullying, a lot of doubt and negativity, and just inconsideration. That mental side of things I had to overcome. technically, fighting has come naturally, I came out of the womb fighting, but I have had to be very creative with how I develop my style. I've developed solid foundations so that my range and timing are completely different to whomever I face.

"This has set me apart. The different battles I've faced have given me. hard mentality, I want to be unshakeable and all the little things I've been through in life have created who I am today, if you can go through all the doubt, I've been through then you can succeed. People say negative stuff all the time, but it goes through one ear and out the other.

"I can go to the very end and I'm going to be the last in there, you'd have to knock me out to stop me, and I'm not going to stop until the last bell. I've never given up and been through various hardships, and I can that with me into fighting. I've mentally broken people, my will, and my attitude. People sense that. I've been told this by many different people, so it is factual.

"You can beat people just off pure mentality; the fight game is 70% mental, and I will carry on beating fighters and how important it is. some people don't train it enough, some people don't have it, and respect anyone who steps into the ring, but there are levels to this."

Peacock is insistent on the mental preparation and the lengths he goes to be at the top of his game, proving that the physical aspect is not the only area you can outwit your opponent in.

With his next fight now secured against the dangerous Shinji Suzuki in Atlanta at ONE 169, the Canadian-English striker was adamant about how the fight will play out and what he plans to do.

"I'm going to smash this guy, then after the fight il grab the mic and ask for a top 10 guy, I have no names, I just want a top ten ranked guy and put the doubters to rest. I want to test myself and show what level I'm at. I'm going to finish him, grab the mic, show everyone I'm for real, and get the ball rolling."

Peacock also attributed ONE for providing massive growth within Muay Thai but still expressed that the sport needs a lot more attention for what it produces.

"It needs more recognition for sure, I have a lot of MMA guys on my team but if you tune into a Friday fight with ONE, every single fight is a banger, the prelims to the main event they're bangers. You don't have a bunch of lower-level fighters who often stall, and it's not the most interesting, but I appreciate the technicality of it. "

"Muay Thai doesn't get the recognition it deserves. ONE has been a massive support in the growth of the support. the likes of Jonathan Haggerty and other Westerners, including myself, are going to bring more eyes to the sport."

With Peacock now settled under the ONE banner and his next fight now official, all eyes will be fixated on him to end 2024 on a high after such an impressive debut.