THERE was a time when the legendary Team Lakay dominated the mixed martial arts world with four world championship belts glittering up their kingdom in the Cordilleras.
That was in 2018, a seemingly magical year when Eduard Folayang defeated Amir Khan, Geje Eustaquio bested Adriano Moraes, Kevin Belingon outflashed Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes and a very young Joshua Pacio etched his name in the public consciousness with his utter domination of then reigning champ Yoshitaka Naito.
As great as 2018 was for the local MMA folk heroes, 2019 turned out to be disastrous. Pacio, Eustaquio, Folayang and Belingon all lost their world titles. The fall from four to zero enveloped the Lakay faithful in a pall of gloom. If it was any consolation, then rising star Danny Kingad sizzled as he kept the Lakay in the semifinals of the Flyweight World Grand Prix that year.
And late in the year Pacio recapitulated with a win over compatriot Rene Catalan in ONE Championship: Masters of Fate.
Pandemic Year 2020 was not as awful as 2019, as Pacio again carried Team Lakay on his shoulders with a decision against Alex Silva in January. To date, The Passion remains the only Team Lakay warrior with a championship belt slung across his shoulder. That is because, some say, Team Lakay’s go-to heroes are growing old.
Maybe so, but in spirit, not. Never count the Lakay out because “never say die” is not just a basketball battlecry. “I just need the perfect time to unleash that greatness, probably..someday in the future,” Eduard Folayang told media after falling to Aoki anew.
Besides, the stars are aligning for Team Lakay. In February this year five-time MMA champion Stephen “The Sniper” Loman, a Brave Combat Federation star (14-2) also from Baguio City, joined ONE Championship. The 28-year-old owner of an eight-bout winning streak is in his prime and wants to showcase his skills to a bigger, global audience.
“I want to join my Team Lakay Brothers,” he said. He hopes to become the sixth Lakay warrior to win a ONE World Title after Folayang, Honorio Banario, Kevin Belingon, Geje Eustaquio and Joshua Pacio.
But wait, there’s more. Twenty-five-year old Jeremy Pacatiw, also from Brave, has taken his talents to ONE Championship. The bantamweight with a 10-4 record has won four of his last five fights against Brazilian Felipe Efrain, compatriot Mark “The Ruthless” Alcoba, Pakistani Uloomi Karim and American Keith Lee.
“When I look at my seniors like Kuya Eduard [Folayang], I always feel that I want to join ONE Championship. I really like what they are promoting, which isn’t all about trash talking but rather building a legacy. I was inspired by [my brothers’] achievements. They really showed us that Filipinos are world champions. That lit a fire under me and I also want to rise to the top and be just like them,” he said.
Pacatiw will enter a stacked field full of high-calibre fighters in his division that includes his Lakay brother Kevin Belingon, No. 1-ranked John “Hands of Stone” Lineker of Brazil, No. 3 Yusup Saadulaev of Russia, No. 4 Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade of Brazil, No. 5 Shoko Sato of Japan and the current king of the division ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil.
Pacatiw admits the competition in his division can be staggering. “But they haven’t fought someone like me,” he says.
“My fighting style is like dancing because I focus on my footwork. Everyone knows that Team Lakay fighters are strikers, but I’m more of a danger because I am slick. I’m also a striker but I can also wrestle. I’m a well-rounded fighter and I think that’s my biggest strength.”
But perhaps the most exciting addition to the Lakay stable is also the teenage sensation son of Team Lakay founder and coach, Mark Sangiao. Eighteen-year-old Jhanlo Mark Sangiao has long been touted as the next big thing to come from the elite squad in Baguio City due to his impressive amateur career and World Champion lineage.
Signing with ONE has been a lifelong dream for Jhanlo who has grown up within the Lakay system and is witness to his stablemates’ triumphs and heartbreaks. He also plans to compete in ONE’s bantamweight division, by the way.
Jhanlo says he is known in previous amateur competitions for his ground-and-pound and “powers of submissions.”
“When they say Team Lakay, the first thing that comes to people’s minds is, ‘These guys are deadly strikers.’ But for me, I believe I’m a different breed. I’m a part of the new generation that needs to build new weapons,” he says on the ONE website.
Father Mark Sangiao could not be prouder. Nor edgier. “I never forced him to do MMA and I never told him not to. I left the decision up to him to do what he wants and to navigate what he is really passionate about. And he found MMA, which made me more than proud,” Coach Mark said.
“I have no worries. I believe we got him armed physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually for this moment. We did the groundwork and let him not forget to always stay focused and to always carry himself with humility whenever he enters that ONE Circle.”
Now that younger Lakay led by Joshua Pacio, 25; Danny Kingad, 24; Lito Adiwang, 28; Stephen Loman, 29; Jeremy Pacatiw, 25; and Jhanlo Sangiao, 18 are entering the fray in global MMA, expect brighter days ahead for ONE and Team Lakay. The Lakay flame is ablaze and alive. Indeed.