Muay Thai star Sean “The One” Climaco may be new to ONE Championship, but he has a wealth of experience already under his belt. So, he won’t let his promotional debut get the better of him next week.
The Road To ONE: U.S. winner debuts against Josue “Tuzo” Cruz at ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova on Saturday, 4th May, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, and he’s looking to continue the momentum he has amassed.
Climaco racked up three consecutive knockout wins in the tournament to score the chance to compete in ONE Championship. Now just days away from his first fight on the global stage, the American striker is focused on doing what he does best.
“Fans should expect technical violence. I’ve got knockout power in both my hands and hard kicks,” he said.
“It’s an honor to compete and be in the same weight class as these guys, but I’m not going to let all the media and the lights affect me once it’s time to fight. I’m just going to treat it like it’s another day in the office, go in there and fight the way I fight, and not let all the outside stuff distract me.”
There will be a laundry list of things Climaco will have to get his head around on fight night – not least of which will be the setting. Lumpinee Stadium will be unlike any other arena he has competed in before, given its history and lineage.
Along with that, the calibre of his adversary cannot be ignored. Cruz is certainly no slouch. He holds a professional record of 17-2 and will be hungry to score his first win in ONE after falling to Walter Goncalves in his debut in May 2022.
Climaco already feels he has the Mexican figured out, however. Once the opening moments have passed and the nerves settle, he’s confident his finishing prowess will be the standout factor between them.
“I see myself finishing him in the second round. The first round will be more like getting those ONE debut jitters out, feeling, seeing what he’s got, but after that, I’m going to finish it in the second,” Climaco said.
“He might come out differently than he does in his fights that you see online. Sometimes, guys are going to fight like they see red and start swinging like crazy, trying to get the $50,000 bonus. I’m just going to fight my fight.”
