For Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado, fighting was never a choice. It was the only way out.

The Filipino has built a reputation as one of the most exciting knockout artists in ONE Championship’s strawweight MMA division. He’s a cerebral striker whose sharp hands have produced some of the promotion’s most electrifying highlight-reel moments. 

But the man behind those finishes carries a weight most opponents could never imagine. Long before he entertained global audiences, Miado was simply trying to survive.

Ahead of his pivotal flyweight MMA showdown with Willie “White Lion” van Rooyen at ONE Fight Night 41 on Prime Video, live in U.S. primetime from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, March 13, Miado reflected on the unlikely road that brought him to this point.

The 33-year-old veteran recalled:

“I’ve been working hard labor since I was a kid. I grew up as a farmer, and it was really hard to make ends meet. I had a lot of odd jobs just to make money. I even worked at a funeral home one time during my high school days.

“To make it to college, I had to become a working student. Through hard work, I got my degree in criminology, but I didn’t pursue it. I saw my future in MMA, and I just gave it my full attention.”

While mixed martial arts was always the destination, the road there took an unexpected detour.

Miado grew up in a country where boxing isn’t just a sport. It’s a religion, immortalized by Manny Pacquiao, the only eight-division World Champion in history.

MMA was still blossoming in the provinces back then, while boxing was everywhere — fiestas, street bouts, and sanctioned cards. Miado fought on all of them, driven by necessity and undeniable natural gifts. His length, timing, and knockout power belied his wiry frame.

A 32-2 amateur record gave “The Jaguar” every reason to turn professional. His sights, however, were always set on the all-encompassing sport. 

Miado shared:

“I started in an MMA gym with the intention of fighting in MMA. It’s just that getting boxing matches was a lot easier than getting MMA fights back then, especially in the province I was in. I just accepted the opportunities that were given and kept fighting.

“That’s why I have some of the sharpest and most powerful hands. I guess my timing and reflexes [come from there] as well. I see angles that some fighters don’t see.”

For Miado, martial arts was never purely about competition. It was salvation, a way to rewrite a story that had been written against him from the start. 

Now with a family of his own, that purpose runs even deeper. Everything he endures is for the son watching at home.

Miado said:

“I grew up in poverty, and I experienced how hard it is. From being a child to an adult, I’ve had a rough life. So, I don’t want my kid to experience the same thing. But thank God I made it to ONE Championship.”

From Pure Striker To Complete Martial Artist

In the early years, the dynamite in Jeremy Miado’s fists was enough. Six of his seven ONE Championship victories ended by ferocious knockouts. 

Stoppages over Miao Li Tao, Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang, and “Mini T” Danial Williams had him knocking on the door of a ONE Strawweight MMA World Title shot. 

But the division soon caught up. Opponents found their answer by taking the fight to the ground, stripping him of his greatest asset. Submission losses to grappling specialists Mansur Malachiev and Keito “Pocket Monk” Yamakita triggered a four-bout slide that forced him to evolve or be left behind. 

“The Jaguar” explained:

“My opponents already know my strengths in striking, so they really try to take me to the ground. As soon as they taste my power, they go for my legs or take me down from the clinch.

“I knew I had to adjust. I had to evolve because everyone would just dominate me in grappling if I stayed the same. I worked really hard to address my issues and made it a focus to find a way to be comfortable in compromising positions.”

Admittedly, grappling felt foreign at first. Over time, though, peeling back the layers of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu revealed its beauty to the natural striker.

The positional intricacies and the geometry of submissions clicked in ways he hadn’t anticipated. Miado knows there is still ground to cover, but the foundation is there, and it has only made his striking more dangerous.

Against Willie van Rooyen on March 13, he intends to prove just how far that evolution has come.

“The Jaguar” said:

“I started slow at first. The focus initially was just to get out of positions and find the best routes to get back on the feet.

“But eventually, I got comfortable working on attacks as well. I began working on offense. And once I learned how these submissions work, my defense actually got better.”

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