Jhanlo Sangiao suffers first ONE Championship setback

Back to the drawing board for Jhanlo Sangiao, as he suffered his first defeat in ONE Championship on Saturday at ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs Grigorian at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.

The Machine was forced to tap to Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu at the 2:53 mark of the second round, after being tagged with a right elbow to start it. The Mongol bantanweight then started to work with his right arm, setting the table for the eventual win.

The 21-year old was building on a strong start to the fight, using his array of strikes to do damage, managing to bloody Baatarkhuu's right eye. However, the veteran kept his bearings and remained focused on securing a submission victory.

Afterwards, he gave Sangiao credit. "I wish him the best. He’s a promising young athlete."

The defeat drops him to 6-1 in his developing MMA career, becoming the second Filipino that Baatarkhuu has dispatched, joining Adonis Sevilleno who suffered a unanimous decision defeat back in April.

Carlo Bumina-ang sizzles in ONE Friday Fights debut

Carlo Von Bumina-ang

 

Another Team Lakay standout impresses at a ONE Championship event, as Carlo Von Bumina-ang impressively secured his debut victory.

Bumina-ang did that with a first round stoppage against Reza Saedi during ONE Friday Fights 27 inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.

Best known for his efforts at the Southeast Asian Games by snagging a silver medal in the men's 65kg division of vovinam, Carlo only needed 52 seconds to get the job done, tagging the Iranian with a left straight. He then followed that up with more straights, uppercuts, and knee strikes, which forced referee Herb Dean to call the fight.

Post-match, he shares to Gianni Subba, "This feels so good. It’s my first time here, and the people here are so nice, I’m so grateful I pulled it off and got the KO win, I’m so happy." Carlo also adds, "It took me five years to get here and it truly feels great."

Bumina-ang is the latest among the new set of Team Lakay fighters that have garnered recent success, which includes Carlos Alvarez, who was present in his corner for this mixed martial arts matchup.

Alvarez remains undefeated in ONE Friday Fights, having defeated Reza Abasi and Sadegh Ghasemi in previous editions of this weekly event at the fabled fight venue.

Jhanlo Sangiao potentially the new face of Team Lakay

 

new face of Team Lakay?

With all the changes that has happened involving Team Lakay, led by the departure of its veteran charges, it is no surprise that Jhanlo Sangiao is being looked now as the outfit's new face.

However, "The Machine" acknowledges that he still has a long way to go, sharing that "Kung sabihin nila na ako yung bagong face ng Team Lakay, pasalamat lang ako pero pinagtatrabahuan ko naman lahat ng ito."

He adds, "Nagte-training lang ako at ine-enjoy ko lang ito. Ipapakita ko kung ano yung kaya ko sa loob ng Circle. Yun lang naman yung goal ko eh."

The bantamweight will get to prove his point when he goes up against Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu in the undercard of ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs Grigorian, which takes place on August 5 at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, one that he expressed confidence in securing the victory.

Jhanlo is on a three-match winning streak, including a 58-second submission against Matias Farinelli at ONE Fight Night 9: Nong-O vs Haggerty this past April.

With stablemate Carlos Alvarez coming off a second round submission victory over Sadegh Ghasemi at ONE Friday Fights 25 recently, he hopes that this is the start of the turnaround for the Baguio-based group.

Sangiao says, "Medyo nae-excite ako kasi nanalo yung isang teammate namin, si Carlos. Naha-hype na rin ako na lumaban ulit. Nakakatulong din na puro bago ang sparring partners ko kaya energized lahat. Mas focused kami ngayon sa gameplan."

Mark Sangiao, Team Lakay founder and father of Jhanlo, is just glad that the new generation of fighters under his stable remain steadfast and committed.

The elder Sangiao shares, "Our next generation of Team Lakay fighters are doing okay for the most part. I can see them working hard and they’re doing their training every day. That’s just how I see it. They train hard and the attendance has been solid."

From their perspective, Mark reflects, "Sa amin naman, tulungan lang talaga ang bawat isa. Kung sino ang may kailangan ng advice, shine-share namin yung alam namin. Nandyan pa rin naman si papa na matagal na sa sport na ito at best coach para sa akin, so ako ipapakita ko lang yung kung ano ang kaya ko sa Circle."

Olsim rooting for Zamboanga in ONE: Empower

A tweak in the card forced Team Lakay fighter Jenelyn Olsim out of the historic all-female ONE Championship mixed martial arts event: ONE: Empower this week.

"The Graceful" had been slated to face off against Grace Cleveland as one of two alternate bouts planned for the event on Friday night, but the American fighter had to bow out due to injury.

Even if it was arranged as an alternate bout, Olsim saw that matchup against the "Thai Kitten" as a golden opportunity for the world to witness what she can do at the atomweight division, especially with the centerpiece of ONE: Empower being the Women's Atomweight World Grand Prix.

The 24-year old was understandably devastated upon learning the news of the cancellation of her fight. She says, "It's just so sad. I, together with my team, were really preparing hard for this match."

Olsim was fresh from securing an impressive victory over Bi Nguyen at ONE: Battleground III, which had been shown on August 27, a performance that earned her a spot on the card as an alternate. Unfortunately, her American opponent had to bow out due to a potential case of vertigo. Cleveland went on social media platform to share her perspective.

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A post shared by Grace Cleveland (@thai_kitten)

Amidst that disappointment, Olsim and her camp shared their concerns about their opponent's condition and wished for her speedy recovery.

Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao shares, "The whole team is praying for the fast and complete recovery of Grace Cleveland. Nobody wants to see these things happening, especially if it's a medical issue. So we can only pray that she can recover and that's really the most important thing for us at this time." He adds, "Yes, it's unfortunate because we were all looking forward to this fight and Jenelyn has really been training hard for this. But we fully understand the situation and all we're after is everyone's health and well being."

Even if her fight remains cancelled, Olsim remains fully prepared in case she gets the call to take someone's place in the Grand Prix. She says, "I'm staying positive despite what happened. I know that I am still an eligible alternate for the Grand Prix, and I know that there's still a lot of opportunities awaiting me, so I just have to be prepared every time."

Both Olsim and Sangiao also showed their support and wished the best of luck towards Denice Zamboanga, who is participating in the Grand Prix as one of the eight hopefuls. The so-called "Lycan Queen" will face the fifth-ranked atomweight contender Seo Hee Ham.

When asked about that particular matchup, Sangiao says, "Denice and Seo Hee Ham are both driven to win the Grand Prix, but I have to side with Denice. I believe that Denice has really prepared so much for this match and I can see that she will do everything just to win this match and the Grand Prix. So as fellow Filipinos, we're here to support her and looking forward to her next matches."

ONE: Empower is ONE Championship’s historic, all-female fight card featuring only women -- the first for a major global martial arts organization. In the main event, reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan defends her World Title against #2-ranked strawweight contender, Michelle Nicolini. The card will be shown locally through One Sports starting at 730pm.

Folayang-Aoki III approved for ONE on TNT IV

Folayang. Aoki. One more time.

Run it back, one more time.

The fourth edition of the ONE on TNT series scheduled for April 29 was tweaked, with a couple of fighters getting sidelined for different reasons. As a result, former ONE Lightweight World Champions Eduard Folayang and Shinya Aoki will face off for the third time, to likely settle things once and for all.

The one called "Landslide" had been slated to face off against Yoshihiro Akiyama, but "Sexyama" had to pull out due to injury. Meanwhile, the man called "Tobikan Judan" was scheduled to fight Sage Northcutt, but the latter had to step aside due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. With both fighters without opponents, ONE Championship opted to put those two together as a new matchup for ONE on TNT IV, the last of a four-part special series which will take place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Folayang shares, "This will be a monumental test for me. It’s a sudden change of our preparation, but I’m a professional athlete, so I have to be prepared for anything, at any given time. I have to be ready to calibrate for what will be served for that perfect aim." The Team Lakay standout adds, "I am not a pessimistic person, and I’m a warrior. Naturally, I’m not expecting to lose, but to get the big victory this time."

Aoki shares the same sentiment. "This is the last event of the 'ONE on TNT' series, so it’s meant to be, and it’s going to be a great one for fans. A lot of people have been waiting for this trilogy with Folayang. Looking back at the past two fights against him, I am very motivated to perform well. This fight is a great one for ONE Championship. I think this fight has a lot of meaning. It's fate that we meet again. As always, I will fight anyone, because I am a proud wrestler and fighter."

The first meeting back in 2016 saw Folayang secure a third round technical knockout to become the ONE Lightweight World Champion. The second meeting saw Aoki end Folayang's second title reign in 2019, doing so through an arm triangle choke submission.

Folayang-Aoki III is part of the undercard for ONE on TNT IV, which features current ONE Light Heavyweight World Champion Aung La N Sang defending his title against Vitaly Bigdash.

Five Filipino fighters seen for potential inclusion in upcoming BRAVE CF Russia card

Stephen Loman with Khabib Nurmagomedov

The Bahrain-based BRAVE Combat Federation has made strides into becoming one of the more known combat sports promotions since its establishment back in late 2016.

With almost fifty live events under its belt and holding them across twenty different countries, including the Philippines, BRAVE CF is considered as one of the fastest-growing mixed martial arts outfits.

Come next year, they will continue to make more milestones, as they are set to hold their first-ever event in Russia.

Set to take place in January 16 at Sochi, the fight card may potentially include a Filipino to mark that special occasion.

According to BRAVE CF president Mohammed Shahid, "The Philippines has been a focus for BRAVE Combat Federation from the very beginning. From time to time, warriors from the Philippines prove that they have not only the skill to compete at the international level but also the heart that matters when it comes to combat sports."

Although no official announcement has been made, there are five potential Pinoy fighters who may have a shot at landing a spot on that Sochi card.

Stephen Loman. At 14-2, the Team Lakay standout is probably the one that has the best profile amongst the potential fighters. Loman has been the headliner of three of BRAVE CF's cards, including their first fight event in the Philippines back in March 2019.

The 25-year-old is the first BRAVE CF Bantamweight world champion and its longest-reigning titleholder. However, he has yet to fight since a unanimous decision victory over Louie Sanoudakis at BRAVE CF 30 last November 2019.

According to Shahid, "I really believe that he (Loman) will take the sport of MMA to another level in the Philippines. He keeps on proving that he is a deserving champion. He is the biggest combat athlete in the Philippine along with Manny Pacquiao. I said it before and I'll say it again."

He adds, "People say we gave him the opportunity, but it's actually the opposite. He gave us the honor of fighting in our organization. I was sad that not a lot of Filipinos knew him, but now I'm the happiest man because the country found a new hero, a fighter who proudly represents the country."

Rolando Dy. The second-generation combat star has been a fixture in the mixed martial arts scene of the Philippines for almost a decade. The son of boxing legend Rolando Navarrete, he is best remembered by BRAVE CF aficionados for his knockout victory over Mehmosh Raza on BRAVE CF 22, where his left hook-right straight combination in the first round sent the Pakistani's mouthguard flying.

Dy is fresh from improving his record to 14-9 after a unanimous decision win over John Brewin in a lightweight title eliminator last November 5 during BRAVE CF 44. The victory earned him a title shot against Amin Ayoub, and both guys are expected to eventually face off for the belt.

Jeremy Pacatiw. Another standout from Team Lakay, The 24-year-old owns the record for most fights under the BRAVE CF banner. His ten victories include wins against Thiago Dela Coleta, Keith Lee, Uloomi Karim, and Mark Alcoba, with his latest being a first-round thwarting of former title contender Felipe Efrain back in December 2019 during BRAVE CF 33.

Pacatiw hopes to add Russia to his well-stamped passport, having fought in places like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Morocco, Brazil, Bahrain, India, and Indonesia.

Harold Banario. He's better known as Honorio's younger brother, but Harold is no slouch. After taking a four-year hiatus to purse college, the Team Lakay fighter used a kneebar submission to make Ariel Oliveros tap in BRAVE CF 22.

Banario, however, will be hoping Sochi becomes the place where he can redeem himself, after bowing to Gamzat Magomedov at BRAVE CF 33 for his second defeat in seven matches.

Jomar Pa-ac. Another member of Team Lakay, Pa-ac has won three of his last four BRAVE CF appearances, his last one being an unanimous decision victory over Satya Behuria on BRAVE CF 22.

ONE Championship reveals six-fight card for October 30 event

Eduard Folayang has a scheduled fight this month.

ONE Championship has shed some light on their upcoming schedule, formalizing their mixed martial event at the end of the month.

To be hosted at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, ONE: Inside the Matrix, will take place on October 30, with six matches on the card, including four title fights and the involvement of a Filipino fighter.

Serving as the main event is current two-division champion Aung La N Sang defending his ONE Middleweight title against the undefeated Reinier de Ridder.

Hometown bet Christian Lee will defend his ONE Lightweight title against the undefeated Iuri Lapicus, while Martin Nguyen will defend his ONE Featherweight title against former Thanh Le.

Capping the title fights is a rematch, with Tiffany Teo seeking revenge against Xiong Jin Nan for the ONE Women's Strawweight title. Teo and "The Panda" faced off back in January 2018 to determine the first women's strawweight champion, with the Chinese claiming victory over the Singaporean in Jakarta.

Our very own Eduard Folayang seeks to get himself back into the title scene with a win against Antonio Caruso, while completing the card as the opening fight is Ritu Phogat against Nou Srey Pov.

ONE: Inside the Matrix seeks to continue to gains from ONE: Reign of Dynasties last October 9, which was the first pilot production by the outfit in partnership with the Singapore government. The country has implemented measures to mitigate the presence of COVID-19, and such measures will also be in place for this event.

Like recent ONE Championship events, it is a closed-door activity, with only the athletes, officials, and crew allowed inside SIS.

Make sure to check out ONE Sports on its social media platforms for details on the telecast of ONE: Inside the Matrix.

ONE Championship fighters among PSA honorees

Team Lakay brandishing four ONE Championship titleholders

The Philippine Sportswriters Association is set to fete the best of Philippines sports in the past year at their Annual Awards Night tonight, and among those being celebrated are the recent feats of Filipino fighters in the mixed martial arts realm.

Eduard Folayang, Kevin Belingon, Geje Eustaquio, Joshua Pacio, and Brandon Vera will be receiving citations from the PSA after securing titles in ONE Championship in 2018, winning all twelve matches they participated in.

Folayang shares, "It's an honor, definitely. It's always a blessing to be in this position and be recognized for what we do. We hope that through this, we will continue to inspire others."

The man called "Landslide" reclaimed his ONE Lightweight World Title with a unanimous decision victory over Amir Khan at ONE: Conquest of Champions this past November. It is that same event where Vera successfully defended his ONE Heavyweight World Title in, defeating Mauro Cerilli.

The Silencer became the ONE Bantamweight World Champion after a split decision victory over Bibiano Fernandes last November in a much-anticipated rematch.

Eustaquio kickstarted a strong 2018 for Filipino MMA with a unanimous decision win over Kairat Akhmetov back in January to claim the ONE Flyweight title in ONE: Global Superheroes. He would then face off against rival Adriano Moraes in two title defenses, first defeating the Brazilian via split decision in ONE: Pinnacle of Power back in June before dropping the title last month with a unanimous decision loss at ONE: Hero's Ascent, to complete the first trilogy in ONE Championship's history.

Pacio claimed the ONE Strawweight World Title by defeating Yoshitaka Naito in ONE: Conquest of Heroes back in September, but would then drop the belt in a controversial split decision loss against Yosuke Saruta in ONE: Eternal Glory last month.

Other notable awardees set to be feted at the SMC-PSA Annual Awards Night include current WBO mini-flyweight champion Vic Saludar and trainer Buboy Fernandez.

2018 Asian Games gold medalists Hidilyn Diaz (weightlifting), Margielyn Didal (skateboarding), Yuka Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan, and Lois Kaye Go (golf) are set to be named as the Athletes of the Year.

Joshua Pacio seeks Macao repeat

Joshua "The Passion" Pacio

Team Lakay's Joshua Pacio wants to replicate his last visit to Macao when he faces Hayato Suzuki on ONE: Kings and Conquerors this coming August 5.

A year ago, "The Passion" was part of the first-ever MMA event ONE Championship organized in the Special Administrative Region, ONE: Heroes of the World. At that event, he forced Thai grappler Kritsada Kongsrichai to submit at the 4:37 mark of the first round due to a rear-naked choke.

The 21-year-old Baguio native did not mince his excitement in being part of ONE: Kings and Conquerors, "I love fighting in Macao. The venue is so awesome. It's truly world-class. Furthermore, there are a lot of Filipinos living and working there. Whenever I compete there, it feels like I am fighting back home. The energy is palpable. I can't wait to be back."

Pacio will have a formidable opponent in Suzuki, a well-rounded warrior armed with heavy hands and technical grappling skills. The Japanese has a 16-0-2 record, with eleven wins coming by way of a finish. When asked about his upcoming match, Joshua says, "It's going to be an action-packed fight. I cannot be complacent. Moreover, I have to be two steps or three steps ahead of him."

He adds, "He's never been knocked out. He's never been submitted. He's undefeated. This is MMA. Anything can happen. My skills versus his skills will be incredible. This will be one of the fights that will be remembered because he will showcase his skills and I will showcase mine, so you had better watch it."

Pacio is fresh from beating Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke, although he acknowledges that there is "room for improvement." He shared that, "This time, we enhanced timing and precision. We added speed as well as proper executions of game plan."

Make sure to check out www.onefc.com for the latest updates on ONE Championship.

Team Lakay holds Media Day

Team Lakay Media Day

ONE Championship recently held a media session involving Filipino MMA outfit Team Lakay, with ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, former ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio “The Rock” Banario, Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio, Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon, Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly, Joshua Pacio, Danny “The King” Kingad, Gina “Conviction” Iniong and April Osenio in attendance. The team was accompanied by legendary Philippine MMA coach and head of Team Lakay, coach Mark Sangiao.

According to Folayang, "I am still overwhelmed by the support that the whole Team Lakay is getting from the entire nation. We are all grateful for every cheer, support and prayer. It keeps us inspired, motivated, and humble. Our goal every fight night is always the same, which is to bring honor to our country."

Sangiao adds, "We are happy to celebrate this feat with our friends in the media and our beloved followers from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. We came from the mountains of Baguio City, but we represent the colors of the Philippines in the global stage. Last April, we accomplished a 5-0 sweep, including Eduard's successful title defense. We came and overcame the challenges. However, the journey doesn't end there. As martial artists, we are here to grow and learn."

Just one Team Lakay fighter has an upcoming match scheduled, with Eustaquio set to face Anatpong Bunradthis coming May 26 at the ONE: Dynasty of Heroes MMA event at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.