Not one, not two, not three, but four Team Lakay fighters will step inside the ONE Circle just before the year ends with the vaunted Baguio City-based camp looking to end 2021 on a winning note.
Former ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon headlines the cast as he marks his return, together with younger stablemates Danny “The King” Kingad, as well as the promotional debuts of Stephen “The Sniper” Loman and Jhanlo Mark “The Machine” Sangiao.
The Team Lakay stars appear at ONE: WINTER WARRIORS II, a previously recorded event from the Singapore Indoor Stadium set to broadcast via tape delay on Friday, 17 December.
Though fight night is still a month away, Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao is confident on the preparations that his wards have had as they all aim to end the year with a bang.
“I think all our four fighters are ready. We’ve been training continuously and we’ve had no injuries in our training, so we’re prepared for that,” he said during the team’s media availability on Wednesday.
It’s a golden opportunity for the Team Lakay warriors to truly unveil the improvements they’ve been working on as they all aim to be more well-rounded fighters. But Sangiao admits that this won’t be a walk-in-the-park for his prized pupils, understanding the threat that the opposition poses.
Belingon will take on Korean Kwon Won Il, who has undergone extensive boxing training in the Philippines to improve his strikes.
“I think he’s a tough fighter, and it gives me great pride that he trained here in the Philippines for his boxing, so that means that he acknowledges that the boxing here is world-class,” said Belingon, the former titleholder who is aiming to snap his three-fight losing skid.
On the other hand, the #2-ranked flyweight Kingad looks to finally settle the score against #4-ranked Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov as they butt heads after two cancelled fights.
“It has come true, so I’m excited to finally face him and I think I’m ready for him,” Kingad remarked.
Loman, the former BRAVE CF Bantamweight Champion, tests his mettle against #3-ranked bantamweight contender Yusup Saadulaev of Russia as he seeks for a memorable introduction in ONE Championship.
“One of my goals is to face the top contenders and I know that I have to show that I belong so that I can face the champion,” Loman said.
And lastly, the younger Sangiao gets his feet wet against Indonesian fighter Paul “The Great King” Lumihi as he eyes an impactful introduction in ONE Championship.
“This is my dream and I’ve waited for this opportunity since I was a kid. So I’m very excited to fight and show my best come fight night,” the younger Sangiao said.
Undoubtedly, it’s a monstrous challenge for Team Lakay. But pressure only breeds diamonds and the Igorot fighters are just pumped for the opportunity they have at hand.
Fight Game Asia 