As Team Lakay success continues, clash between stablemates a possibility

Team Lakay coach Mark Sangiao. Photo by Bong Lozada

MACAU—Team Lakay is undoubtedly on an upward flight with its fighters either holding belts or in the conversation of titles.

Geje Eustaquio holds the biggest prize with the ONE interim flyweight title and Kevin Belingon getting a shot at the ONE interim bantamweight belt.

READ: ‘No loser’ in Eustaquio-Morales ONE rematch

Others are also in the top tier of their respective divisions like Danny Kingad, Edward Kelly, and former ONE World lightweight Eduard Folayang.

For coach Mark Sangiao, Team Lakay’s prominence in ONE Championship has been a silent motivator for his fighters who are all eager to hold titles.

Geje Eustaquio and Eduard Folayang on the mitts with cameo appearances by Ev Ting and ONE women’s strawweight champ Jing Nan Xiong. pic.twitter.com/kfwp3PPfn3

— Bong Lozada (@BLozadaINQ) June 21, 2018

“I see in them the determination that they want to become World champions especially when Eduard got one and Geje right now has a belt,” said Sangiao in Filipino during Team Lakay’s night training at Studio City here in Macau.

“Everyone wants to get a hold of a belt because they were inspired when Eduard and Geje got belts. Those guys became the inspiration for the other fighters.”

READ: Successful ONE return as Folayang dominates Russian foe

Sangiao would also have quite a predicament if Kingad (6-1), whose only defeat was against ONE World flyweight champion Adriano Moraes, beats Ma Hao Bin and get back to the title picture.

Team Lakay doing work. pic.twitter.com/2nDy689mSL

— Bong Lozada (@BLozadaINQ) June 21, 2018

In the event that Eustaquio beats Moraes to unify the flyweight belts in ONE: Pinnacle of Power on Saturday, a fight between him and Kingad is likely to materialize in the future.

“If that fight happens, all of us in the team will talk about it and whatever my fighters’ decision will be followed,” said Sangiao. “I’m just here to give a second opinion and I will respect their decision as fighters.”

“I mean they’re already competing twice a week when they spar and mixed martial arts is a sport just like track and field or chess and they will have to prove who’s the best.”