After Team Lakay’s dominating performance at ONE: FIRE & FURY, former ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio “The Rock” Banario is now more motivated to win his next assignment.
The Filipino star is set to lock horns against Shannon “One Shin” Wiratchai of Thailand at ONE: KING OF THE JUNGLE which emanates from the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore on 28 February.
This will be Banario’s first assignment this 2020 and the 30-year-old Mankayan, Benguet native can’t mince words on his eagerness of capitalizing the positive momentum his team gained, after their impressive performance at the Mall of Asia Arena last 31 January.
“After the Manila card, I even got more motivated with the way the team performed. I want to follow it up with another good news, continue our winning ways this 2020,” Banario said.
“But aside from the win, I also want to maximize all the lessons that the team gained in Manila. I watched them closely, and I know that will help me achieve my goal in Singapore.”
At ONE Championship’s maiden card in Manila this year, four out of the five athletes of the La Trinidad based mixed martial arts team started their 2020 campaign on a high note.
Gina “Conviction” Iniong and Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang started the night strong for Team Lakay after their dominating wins at the lead card of the event.
On the main card, Danny “The King” Kingad showcased his improved form en route to a decisive win while ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio continued his reign on top of the strawweight world after his impressive victory over Alex “Little Rock” Silva in the main event of the evening.
Team Lakay’s goal of a sweep came up short, after former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang failed to score his second-straight win with a split decision loss against Pieter “The Archangel” Buist of The Netherlands in the co-main event.
The outstanding result in Manila was a stark contrast to their team’s start in 2019 where they lost all four World Titles in a span of three months.
Banario shared that the results in Manila are proof that there is indeed a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter the struggles.
“On that card, it proved that with focus and determination, good results will come. We are all training hard every day to reach our dreams as an athlete and as a person, and I know that it’s never too late to reach that,” Banario stated.
“I also understand that we won’t be winning all the time, but the most important thing is growth in each match.
Banario is fully aware of the tough task waiting for him at the end of the month, but he is confident that the team’s positive momentum will help him to secure the victory.
“I am even more eager now to win because I want to continue the team’s winning ways. I also want to show how dedicated I am even during my struggles in the past,” Banario said.
“It will be far from easy against Shannon, but I believe that if you are confident and prepared, a win is attainable.”
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