Far from satisfied, Team Lakay aims to continue success in 2019

FILE – Team Lakay now has four current ONE world champions after Eduard Folayang regained the lightweight title following a unanimous decision win over Singapore’s Amir Khan in Manila. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Team Lakay won four world titles in ONE Championship in 2018, but that doesn’t mean the Baguio City-based stable can afford to rest on its laurels this year.

Winning is one thing and staying on top is a whole different story.

“This game is evolving every second. Right now, there is a martial artist out there developing a new training method, working on a new technique, and building a new set of skills we have never seen before,” said Team Lakay’s master tactician Mark Sangiao.

“This is the nature of our sport. Mixed martial arts is the ultimate proving ground of combat. It combines every style and discipline into one cohesive system. That being said, the key to success is continuous learning.”

Kevin Belingon, Geje Eustaquio, Eduard Folayang and Joshua Pacio earned world titles in their respective divisions and for them to keep their status, they must continue to hone their craft.

“As martial artists, we have to keep learning and improving — that’s the only way we can win. We have to keep up with the competition and train harder than our opponents,” Sangiao said.

“While the rest of the world sleeps, we train, and when the world wakes up, we still train. Hard work, dedication, and learning will bring us success in 2019, despite the challenges we face.”

The first test for Team Lakay comes on January 19 when Pacio defends his strawweight strap against Yosuke Saruta of Japan in ONE: Eternal Glory in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Team Lakay’s journey to the top did not come without adversities, but Sangiao and the rest of Team Lakay are ready to conquer more challenges in 2019.

“Together, we were able to overcome adversity. We’ll do the same in 2019,” Sangiao said.