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Miao Li Tao States Avenging His Loss Against Jeremy Miado Is More Important Than a Title Shot
Redemption is the only thing on the mind of China’s Miao Li Tao as he prepares to take on Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado at ONE: NEXTGEN this Friday, 29 October.
The last time these two strawweight athletes met, the Chinese superstar was stunned by a flying knee that knocked him out cold at 3:01 of the first round. Before that, though, he had been dominating the fight with his striking and ground game – but it was that one highlight-reel moment that decided the result of the contest.
Miao wasn’t happy with how the fight ended, and now he wants to catch “The Jaguar” with a picture-perfect finish of his own.
“This time, I’ll just stick to my game plan and do my thing, and I will be the winner without a doubt,” the Beijing native said.
“I got finished the last time, so there’s no excuse for me not to finish him this time. I will put on a show and knock him out unconscious for good.”
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Miao Li Tao is not new to avenging a loss
Now that the chance has been handed to him, Miao wants to correct the mistakes of the past. And nothing fires him up more than a rematch. His last victory in ONE Championship in April this year is a testament to what he can do when given a second opportunity.
Following the loss to Miado in November 2019, Miao went down to Ryuto Sawada via unanimous decision. But the rematch was an entirely different story as the Chinese athlete took the decision win with a dominant display over the Japanese star.
He will be taking that same positive mindset when he squares off against “The Jaguar” this Friday.
“Personally, this fight is probably bigger than any other fight I’ve ever had before,” the 29-year-old stated.
“As a fighter, getting revenge on a heartbreaking loss is the most important thing. Now, I’m 100 percent focused on this fight. Nothing else can stop me from avenging my loss to Jeremy.”
How important is avenging his loss against Jeremy Miado for Miao?
A win could push him slightly closer towards the strawweight rankings and an opportunity to perhaps take on the ranked contenders in the division next.
But Miao revealed that he would have even turned down a shot at Joshua Pacio’s World Title at this stage of his career, simply because redemption is the only thing on his mind.
“If you let me choose a title shot over this fight, I would even say no to that. That’s how much this fight means to me,” he said.
“I don’t think beating Miado will help me get any closer to the [top-five] rankings, but it will definitely help me with my heart and spirit.”
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