SUMMARY
- Reece McLaren will fight Hu Yong at ONE Fight Night 22.
- McLaren is eager to show off his improvements after a loss in his previous outing against Kairat Akhmetov.
In the last 12 months, a lot has changed for enigmatic flyweight MMA star Reece McLaren. The Australian talent was enjoying a vitalising two-fight winning streak in ONE Championship, but a sudden end to his momentum brought upon the realization that things had to change.
The #4-ranked flyweight contender came up short to Kairat Akhmetov at ONE Fight Night 10 in May 2023. The defeat exposed holes in McLaren’s game, forcing him to dedicate himself to MMA on a full-time basis.
And when he returns at ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova on Friday, May 3, the flyweight star looks to show off the huge improvements he’s made since joining CMBT Training Centre when he meets fifth-ranked Hu Yong inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
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“I’ve made the switch now to the CMBT Training Centre. I’m training there full time and I’m already seeing a massive improvement in a few things MMA-wise,” McLaren said. “I have to give props to Miles [Muecke]. His dedication to my training has blown me away. As head coach, he’s taken everything by the reins, and I’ve gone to another level thanks to him. I’m sure everyone’s going to see the results.”
In the fight game, it’s very easy to buy into your hype and feel like you’re doing enough when things are going your way. But when a bump in the road comes along, that’s when a man’s character is on show. Luckily for McLaren, he realized that if he wanted to continue climbing up the ranks to a World Title shot, he would have to put his nose to the grindstone, and he’s hoping his performance pays dividends in two week’s time.
Reece McLaren loving the process again ahead of MMA return at ONE Fight Night 22
A loss teaches a combatant a lot more than victory ever will. And in the year since his last outing, ONE flyweight MMA star Reece McLaren has sat under the learning tree of his new home at CMBT Training Centre in Queensland, Australia.
Like “Rocky III,” McLaren has started from scratch, committing himself to relearning the basics in order to improve his overall game and, admittedly, “Lightning” has enjoyed developing the eye of the tiger all over again.
That way, when he steps in the ring this May at Lumpinee Stadium, there will be no old habits hanging on. McLaren feels a whole new fighter will be on show as he plans to continue moving up to World Title contention.
“It’s bridging the gap between the [ranges], not trying to strengthen too much of what you know is already strong. That’s what’s making everything better. I’m really enjoying the direction in which my MMA’s going in, and I’m so excited to showcase it,” he said.
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“One of my best training partners, Mizuho [Matsuyama], is a Japanese guy, a little flyweight. And then there’s Oden [Muscat]. The team’s huge… We’re putting in heaps of rounds. Heaps of actual MMA rounds too, which is just amazing. Five-minute rounds, you name it, we’re pretty much doing it. The process is being loved again and that’s really, really refreshing.”
McLaren meets Hu on Friday, 3 May at ONE Fight Night 22. And given their respective placements in the division’s top five, a clinical performance from either man would do wonders for their dreams of taking on ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion Demetrious Johnson later this year.