Jake Peacock was born without his right hand and forearm; Jake is son of former Premier League footballer Gavin Peacock: "My dad kicked balls for a living and I kick people's heads!"
Saturday 6 April 2024 09:19, UK
England's Jake Peacock stuck to his word and pulled off a sensational debut as he defeated Japan's Kohei Shinjo in their bantamweight Muay Thai showdown during the ONE Championship in Bangkok on Friday.
Peacock, who was born without his right hand and forearm, stunned Lumpinee Boxing Stadium as he dominated his adversary and displayed his versatile skill set across all three rounds.
The 30-year-old punched, kicked, and elbowed his way through his Japanese foe, earning the unanimous decision win in the process.
Peacock is the son of ex-Chelsea, QPR and Newcastle footballer Gavin Peacock and grandson of Charlton Athletic legend Keith Peacock.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Peacock, who took up martial arts at the age of seven, said opponents who view his right arm as an area to exploit have been proved wrong.
"A lot of people come into the fight and maybe think that is my weaker side and are going to target that area but it has not worked out for anyone who has done that.
"I can't help but finish people. I do damage with my right arm. I have dropped a couple of people.
"I manage my distance and range well and I make it uncomfortable for people. If they put it on me, I am going to try and give something back.
"I have always been strong and had good technique but when I turned pro I had a whole mindset shift. My mentality was different, I just had this killer instinct in me.
"My dad kicked balls for a living and I kick people's heads! My grandad played over 500 games for Charlton so it is in the blood."
Elsewhere, Alexis "Barboza" Nicolas ended two-sport king Regian "The Immortal" Eersel's reign of dominance in a stunning ONE Fight Night 21 main event upset.
The Frenchman snapped Eersel's 22-bout winning streak and relieved the Surinamese superstar of his ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title via unanimous decision.
It was a cagey opening as Nicolas' fast kicks gave Eersel plenty to think about in the early going.
The challenger's decisive moment came in the second round, however, as a thudding left hook sent the defending titleholder to the canvas.
"The Immortal" was able to shake off the cobwebs and continue to press forward after the setback, but Nicolas gave as good as he got through the remainder of the pulsating contest.
With the upset, Nicolas handed Eersel his first loss in eight years. The Frenchman also maintained his own perfect professional mark, improving to 24-0.
In the co-main event, Tye Ruotolo retained his ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title in stunning fashion.
The 21-year-old incredibly emulated the modified rear-naked choke used by his twin brother, Kade, earlier in the night.
The physicality of his Australian opponent, Izaak Michell, forced Ruotolo to work for the finish, but a lightning-fast reversal gave him the opening that he needed to sink in the fight-ending choke after 4:43 of action.
Earlier in the show, two second-round knockdowns left Britain's Jacob Smith with too much to do against Canadian-Bosnian veteran Denis Puric.
The sole English representative on the bill was typically amped up in the ring, but his aggression ultimately proved to be his undoing.
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