‘Touch my hair, you’re dead’ warns One FC fighter Toquero

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino mixed martial artist Eugene Toquero is looking forward to bouncing back from a forgettable outing last December in his One Fighting Championship (One FC) debut.

The 32-year-old Toquero, who lost via unanimous decision to Team Lakay’s Geje Eustaquio after three rounds in his first fight in One FC, seeks vindication when he faces Malaysian Gianni Subba on May 2 on the One FC “Rise of Heroes” undercard at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

The Cebu native said that he doesn’t care about Subba; his main concern is his perfectly-gelled hair.

“You touch my hair, you’re dead. Nobody touches it,” Toquero told Rappler at Tuesday’s One FC “Rise of Heroes” press conference at the Mall of Asia Atrium.

“That’s why I try to finish my fight as early as the first round so that I would not have to fix my hair after every round.”

(RELATED: ONE FC’s Manila event promises that ‘heroes will rise’)

Toquero, who also trains celebrities like Luis Manzano as a side job, added that he had improved his grappling, wrestling, defense, ground game and Brazilian jiu-jitsu techniques in an effort to earn his first win in One FC. “Before, I was booed because I didn’t have the whole majority of the crowd.”

Despite Toquero’s warning, it looks like his upcoming 21-year-old Malaysian counterpart wasn’t bothered.    

“I don’t care if I hit his hair, I just like to finish fights, whether standing up or on the ground. I can strike, I can go for takedowns,” said Subba, who holds an unblemished 3-0 record with two knockouts. “My jiu-jitsu is not bad, but I’m working on it. And I always bring good fights.”

Subba also told Toquero that he should be worried about his face and not his hair.

“I’m very blessed to train with these guys [from Phuket Top Team] every day. We’ve got veteran fighters like Andrew Leone, who is a top contender right now. I get my ass kicked sometimes. Most times, it’s a great learning experience.

“At the same time, I’ve prepared for what Toquero will bring in the fight night,” said Subba.

Toquero, who teaches kickboxing and MMA in a gym inside the Metrowalk Mall in Pasig City, also warned Subba that he’s going to target his boyish K-Pop face when they meet on May 2.

The main event of the fight will pit defending bantamweight titleholder and ground specialist Bibiano Fernandes of Brazil and Masakatsu Ueda of Japan, while Australian Rob Lisita will tangle against Yasuke Kawanago in a bantamweight match.

One FC President Victor Cui added that he will be adding additional fights to the event, including those that feature Filipino fighters. – Rappler.com